[Photodynamic therapy of cholangiocarcinomas]

Cholangiocarcinomas (CC) account for approximately 3% of all gastrointestinal cancers with an incidence of about three per 100,000. 70% of CC are perihilar lesions and can be classified according to the Bismuth-Corlette system. At the time of dia-gnosis less than 30% are candidates for complete resection. For nonresectable CC median survival is 4-6 months. Since biliary obstruction is the most common cause of death, biliary stenting has been the standard palliative therapy. Several studies have confirmed that administering photodynamic therapy to perihilar CC improves quality of life and increases median survival time.