Current Status and Future Perspectives of Perioperative Therapy for Resectable Biliary Tract Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Review

Abstract

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a group of aggressive malignancies that arise from the bile duct and gallbladder. BTCs include intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IH-CCA), extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EH-CCA), and gallbladder cancer (GBCA). BTCs are highly heterogeneous cancers in terms of anatomical, clinical, and pathological characteristics. Until recently, the treatment of resectable BTC, including surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, has largely been based on institutional practice guidelines and evidence from small retrospective studies. Recently, several large randomized prospective trials have been published, and there are ongoing randomized trials for resectable BTC. In this article, we review prior and recently updated evidence regarding surgery, adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and adjuvant radiation therapy for patients with resectable BTC.