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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Mar 15, 2010; 2(3): 136-145
Published online Mar 15, 2010. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v2.i3.136
New insights on cholangiocarcinoma
Manuela Gatto, Domenico Alvaro
Manuela Gatto, Domenico Alvaro, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Rome, "Sapienza", Polo Pontino, via R. Rossellini 51, 00137 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: Gatto M and Alvaro D contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Domenico Alvaro, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Rome, “Sapienza”, Polo Pontino, via R. Rossellini 51, 00137 Rome, Italy. domenico.alvaro@uniroma1.it
Telephone: +39-6-49972023 Fax: +39-6-4453319
Received: July 29, 2009
Revised: October 5, 2009
Accepted: October 12, 2009
Published online: March 15, 2010
Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a devastating cancer arising from the neoplastic transformation of the biliary epithelium. It is characterized by a progressive increase in incidence and prevalence. The only curative therapy is radical surgery or liver transplantation but, unfortunately, the majority of patients present with advanced stage disease, which is not amenable to surgical therapies. Recently, proposed serum and bile biomarkers could help in the screening and surveillance of categories at risk and in diagnosing CCA at an early stage. The molecular mechanisms triggering neoplastic transformation and growth of biliary epithelium are still undefined, but significant progress has been achieved in the last few years. This review deals with the most recent advances on epidemiology, biology, and clinical management of CCA.

Keywords: Cholangiocarcinoma; Cholangiocytes; Growth factors; Proliferation; Apoptosis