Digestive and Liver Disease
Volume 42, Issue 4 , Pages 253-260, April 2010

Cholangiocarcinoma: Update and future perspectives☆

  • Manuela Gatto

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Maria Consiglia Bragazzi

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Rossella Semeraro

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Cristina Napoli

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Raffaele Gentile

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Alessia Torrice

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Eugenio Gaudio

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anatomy, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Domenico Alvaro

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Polo Pontino, R. Rossellini 51, 00137 Rome, Italy. Tel.: +39 06 49972023; fax: +39 06 4453319.

Received 18 November 2009; accepted 28 December 2009. published online 25 January 2010.

Abstract 

Cholangiocarcinoma is commonly considered a rare cancer. However, if we consider the hepato-biliary system a single entity, cancers of the gallbladder, intra-hepatic and extra-hepatic biliary tree altogether represent approximately 30% of the total with incidence rates close to that of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In addition, cholangiocarcinoma is characterized by a very poor prognosis and virtually no response to chemotherapeutics; radical surgery, the only effective treatment, is not frequently applicable because late diagnosis. Biomarkers for screening programs and for follow-up of categories at risk are under investigation, however, currently none of the proposed markers has reached clinical application. For all these considerations, cancers of the biliary tree system should merit much more scientific attention also because a progressive increase in incidence and mortality for these cancers has been reported worldwide. This manuscript deals with the most recent advances in the epidemiology, biology and clinical presentation of cholangiocarcinoma.

Abbreviations: CCA, cholangiocarcinoma, IH-CCA, intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma, EH-CCA, extra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma, PSC, primary sclerosing cholangitis

Keywords: Apoptosis, Cholangiocarcinoma, Cholangiocytes, Epidemiology, Proliferation, Risk factors

 

☆ D. Alvaro was supported by MIUR grants: PRIN #2007, prot. 2007HPT7BA_003. E. Gaudio was supported by MIUR grants: PRIN#2007, prot. 2007HPT7BA_001 and Federate Atheneaum funds from University “Sapienza” of Rome.

PII: S1590-8658(10)00003-4

doi:10.1016/j.dld.2009.12.008

Digestive and Liver Disease
Volume 42, Issue 4 , Pages 253-260, April 2010

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