Current status on cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer

Abstract

Background: Cholangiocarcinomas (CC) as well as gallbladder cancers are relatively rare and intractable diseases. Clinical, pathological, and epidemiological studies on these tumors have been under investigation. The current status and/or topics on biliary tract cancers have been reported in the East West Association of Liver Tumor (EWALT), held in Milano, Italy in 2015. Summary: All the authors, herein, specifcally reported the current status and leading-edge fndings on biliary tract cancers as the following sequence: epidemiology of CC, surgical therapy for intrahepatic CC, surgical therapy for perihilar CC, surgical therapy for gallbladder cancer, chemotherapy for biliary tract cancers, and new histological features in CC. Key Message: The present review article will update the knowledge on biliary tract cancers, enhancing the quality of daily clinical practice. However, many features about these cancers remain unknown; further studies are required to establish disease-specifc optimal treatment strategies.