Publication: ASCO Daily News
Cholangiocarcinoma is an epithelial malignancy of the biliary system characterized by cholangiocyte differentiation, and its incidence is on the rise. Currently, cholangiocarcinomas are classified by their anatomical location in the biliary system as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, distal cholangiocarcinoma, or hilar cholangiocarcinoma.
Curative-intent surgical resection remains the standard of care for all three subtypes of localized cholangiocarcinomas and liver transplant for a subset of patients with unresectable, hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Unfortunately, most patients with cholangiocarcinoma present with unresectable or advanced-stage disease. In this case, locoregional and systemic chemotherapy is the primary treatment modality. Fortunately, however, in recent years, genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses have elucidated the molecular characteristics of cholangiocarcinoma and have led to an explosion in early-phase targeted therapy and immunotherapy trials focusing on each cholangiocarcinoma subtype. In this article, we highlight the emerging targeted and immunotherapies in cholangiocarcinoma.
Read the full story at ASCO Daily News.