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©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2005; 11(20): 3161-3164
Published online May 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i20.3161
Published online May 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i20.3161
Long-term survival after intraluminal brachytherapy for inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma: A case report
Siu-Yin Chan, Ronnie T. Poon, Kelvin K. Ng, Chi-Leung Liu, Sheung-Tat Fan, Centre for the Study of Liver Disease and Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
Raymond T. Chan, Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Ronnie T. Poon, Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China. poontp@hkucc.hku.hk
Telephone: +852-285-53641 Fax: +852-281-75475
Received: July 12, 2004
Revised: July 13, 2004
Accepted: September 19, 2004
Published online: May 28, 2005
Revised: July 13, 2004
Accepted: September 19, 2004
Published online: May 28, 2005
Abstract
Surgical resection with a tumor-free margin is the only curative treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin tumor). However, over half of the patients present late with unresectable tumors. Radiotherapy using external beam irradiation or intraluminal brachytherapy (ILBT) has been used to treat unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma with satisfactory outcome. We reported a patient with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma surviving more than 6 years after combined external beam irradiation and ILBT.
Keywords: Brachytherapy; Hilar cholangiocarcinoma