Biliary Tract Cancer: Current Medical Treatment Strategies

Abstract

Background: Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) include cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers usually present at an advanced stage, which are considered resectable in less than 20% of cases and characterised by poor prognosis. Methods: In this review, we discussed the most recent therapeutic options on the basis of the most updated and complete reviews and recent prospective studies in selected BTC patients. Results: Due to the high recurrence rate of BTCs, we suggest the new recommendations that have been made on adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment after surgery. New chemotherapy combinations in advanced-stage patients allow a better survival benefit than the standard treatment. Furthermore, the revelation of complex molecular events and their interactions and relationships with some risk factors allowed the development of targeted/toxic agents alone or combination with chemotherapy that is really promising. In unresectable patients, hepatic arterial infusion of high-dose chemotherapy or selective internal radiotherapy could offer a primary mass volume reduction or its resection with the maintenance of liver function. Conclusions: The therapeutic landscape for BTCs is blooming again, the knowledge of their biology is still growing, but the available data on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, locoregional treatments, and target therapies have added hopes to improve patient survival.