Bile duct cancers are a tough bunch to beat. They are tricky because they come in different forms and are hard to treat. For a long time, doctors have used a combo of gemcitabine and cisplatin to help patients feel better, even if it couldn't cure them. This was the go-to treatment for over ten years. But now, things are changing. Two big studies, TOPAZ-1 and KEYNOTE...
Advanced biliary tract cancer is a serious condition that often requires a combination of treatments. One such treatment involves chemo-immunotherapy with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and durvalumab, followed by maintenance therapy with just durvalumab. The question is, who benefits most from this maintenance therapy? A recent study looked into this by comparing pati...
Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a tough opponent. When it advances, doctors often turn to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) as a first line of defense. But what happens when GP treatment fails? That's when things get really tricky. The outlook for these patients is grim. However, there's a potential backup plan: fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy. The idea is to swit...
Biliary tract cancers are a group of rare but aggressive tumors. They affect the bile ducts, which are essential for digestion. These cancers are tough to spot early and even tougher to treat. However, recent research has shed light on a potential game-changer: Claudin 18. 2. This protein, Claudin 18. 2, is not new. It has already been targeted in other cancers, lik...
Bile duct cancer, also known as biliary tract cancer, is a serious illness. The outlook for patients has not been great. However, researchers have made big strides in understanding how this cancer grows. This understanding has led to new ways of treating it. The focus now is on finding even better ways to fight this disease. The big question is how to make c...
Biliary tract cancer is a tough nut to crack. It is hard for doctors to predict how patients will react to immunotherapy. This is a big problem in the medical world. The way genes and immune cells behave can give clues about how well treatment will work. The immune system is like a security guard for the body. It fights off invaders, like viruses and bacteria. But s...
Biliary tract cancers, or BTCs, are a big challenge in medicine. These cancers are very aggressive and often go unnoticed until they are in an advanced stage. This makes them difficult to treat and gives patients a grim outlook. The usual method for detecting these cancers is a tool called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP. This tool is not perf...
Cancer treatment has seen a big change with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). These drugs help the body's immune system fight cancer. But, some patients see their cancer grow quickly. This is called hyperprogressive disease (HPD). It's a big problem for doctors and patients. It's important to understand why this happens. ICIs work by blocking certain pro...
Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is on the rise globally, with Europe seeing its own unique patterns. Unlike some regions, Europe doesn't have a single dominant risk factor. Instead, it's a mix of conditions like primary sclerosing cholangitis, gallstones, and liver cirrhosis, though many cases pop up without any clear cause. What's alarming is that more young people under...
Bile duct cancer, or BTC, is a tough and aggressive disease that comes in three main types: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC), and gallbladder cancer (GBC). It's not common worldwide, but it's a big deal in some places. Korea, for instance, has the second-highest rate of BTC in the world and the highest death rate. ...