Nab-paclitaxel as alternative treatment regimen in advanced cholangiocellular carcinoma

Advanced cholangiocellular carcinoma has a poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options. Nab-paclitaxel has recently been described to be beneficial in metastatic pancreatic cancer improving overall and progression free survival (PFS). The potential antitumor activity of nab-paclitaxel in cholangiocellular carcinoma is hitherto unknown.

We retrospectively analyzed an institutional cholangiocellular carcinoma registry to determine the potential biological activity of nab-paclitaxel in advanced intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma. Disease control rate (DCR), PFS and overall survival (OS) upon nab-paclitaxel based treatment, after failure of platinum-containing first-line combination chemotherapy, was assessed.

Twelve patients were identified. Five of 12 patients (42%) received nab-paclitaxel as second line, and 7 patients (56%) as third-line treatment. The objective DCR with nab-paclitaxel was 83% (10/12 patients). One patient had a complete remission (CR), two patients had a partial remission (PR) and 7 patients had stable disease (SD). Disease was rated progressive in two patients. In all 12 patients receiving nab-paclitaxel the median time to progression was 6 months (range, 2.1-19.5 months). Median OS after initiation of nab-paclitaxel treatment was 9 months (2.1-28.4 months). The median time of survival after diagnosis of advanced disease was 21.5 months, whereby 3 patients were alive at the date of censoring (04/01/2015).

This is the first report suggesting substantial antitumor activity of nab-paclitaxel in advanced cholangiocellular carcinoma. In this small series, nab-paclitaxel based salvage chemotherapy appears to have a biological activity by controlling the disease and positively affecting survival. Randomized trials in this disease entity and subgroup of patients are urged.