Treating Hepatobiliary Cancer: The Immunologic Approach.
1Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Digestive Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 4, 2017
Summary
Hepatobiliary cancers have limited treatment options. This review explores immune-based therapies, leveraging the inflammation link, for better cancer management.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Hepatology
Background:
- Hepatobiliary cancers are a diverse group with slow-evolving, minimally effective standard treatments for advanced stages.
- Similar to many gastrointestinal cancers, the potential of immune-based therapies remains largely unexplored.
- The strong association between hepatobiliary cancer etiology and inflammation suggests a promising avenue for immune-based interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To contextualize hepatobiliary cancer management within its inflammation-based etiology.
- To identify and highlight therapeutic opportunities in emerging immune-based approaches for hepatobiliary cancers.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on the etiological links between inflammation and hepatobiliary cancer.
- Analysis of current and upcoming immune-based therapeutic strategies relevant to these malignancies.
Main Results:
- The inflammation-rich background of hepatobiliary cancers provides a rationale for immune-based treatments.
- Several immune-based approaches are entering clinical practice and show potential for this patient group.
Conclusions:
- Immune-based therapies represent a significant, largely untapped therapeutic frontier for hepatobiliary cancers.
- Understanding the inflammatory underpinnings is key to unlocking the potential of immunotherapy in managing these diseases.
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