[Diagnostics and treatment of cholangiocarcinoma]

--Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare malignancy originating from the biliary epithelium. The disease can arise anywhere in the biliary tract: intrahepatic, perihilar or distal. The overall prognosis for cholangiocarcinoma is poor. --The treatment necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. --Radical resection of the extrahepatic bile ducts, usually in combination with concomitant partial liver resection, remains the only curative treatment. --Liver transplantation in combination with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy seems to be promising in a highly selected group of patients. --Palliative treatment should be targeted at adequate biliary drainage, preferably by stenting. --Radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy are not standard treatment and should be applied in an experimental setting only. --New options such as photodynamic therapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are promising, but still experimental treatments.