Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma is an uncommon malignant tumor arising from biliary epithelium. The incidence increases with age and usually affects individuals in their sixth or seventh decade of life. Most patients clinically present with features of biliary obstruction. Although surgical resection offers the only hope for cure, the majority of patients are found to have unresectable disease on initial presentation and carry extremely grim prognosis. This has lead to an emphasis on the role of palliative care, with the relief of biliary obstruction being the primary goal in the management of these patients. Surgical bypass was once considered as the primary means of palliating biliary obstruction, but nonsurgical placement of biliary stents is associated with lower morbidity and mortality. Newer modalities such as photodynamic therapy, brachytherapy, and high-intensity ultrasound therapy may result in improved survival and play a future role as an adjunctive therapy to surgical resection.