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World J Clin Oncol. Mar 24, 2024; 15(3): 381-390
Published online Mar 24, 2024. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i3.381
Current interventional options for palliative care for patients with advanced-stage cholangiocarcinoma
Maryam Makki, Malak Bentaleb, Mohammed Abdulrahman, Amal Abdulla Suhool, Salem Al Harthi, Marcelo AF Ribeiro Jr
Maryam Makki, Marcelo AF Ribeiro Jr, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi 11001, United Arab Emirates
Malak Bentaleb, Mohammed Abdulrahman, Marcelo AF Ribeiro Jr, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 11001, United Arab Emirates
Amal Abdulla Suhool, Salem Al Harthi, Department of Surgery, Division of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi 91888, United Arab Emirates
Author contributions: Ribeiro Jr MA supervise the project and analyzed the data; Makki M, Bentaleb M, and Abdulrahman M contributed equally to this work; Ribeiro Jr MA designed the research study; Makki M, Bentaleb M, and Abdulrahman M performed the research; Suhool AA, Al Harthi S contributed reviewing the data and performing critical analysis; Makki M, Bentaleb M, Abdulrahman M wrote the manuscript; All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Marcelo AF Ribeiro Jr, FAASLD, FACS, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Professor, Surgeon, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, PO Box 11001, Abu Dhabi 11001, United Arab Emirates. drmribeiro@gmail.com
Received: December 11, 2023
Peer-review started: December 11, 2023
First decision: January 4, 2024
Revised: January 18, 2024
Accepted: February 27, 2024
Article in press: February 27, 2024
Published online: March 24, 2024
Processing time: 102 Days and 0.4 Hours
Abstract

Primary biliary tract tumors are malignancies that originate in the liver, bile ducts, or gallbladder. These tumors often present with jaundice of unknown etiology, leading to delayed diagnosis and advanced disease. Currently, several palliative treatment options are available for primary biliary tract tumors. They include percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), biliary stenting, and surgical interventions such as biliary diversion. Systemic therapy is also commonly used for the palliative treatment of primary biliary tract tumors. It involves the administration of chemotherapy drugs, such as gemcitabine and cisplatin, which have shown promising results in improving overall survival in patients with advanced biliary tract tumors. PTBD is another palliative treatment option for patients with unresectable or inoperable malignant biliary obstruction. Biliary stenting can also be used as a palliative treatment option to alleviate symptoms in patients with unresectable or inoperable malignant biliary obstruction. Surgical interventions, such as biliary diversion, have traditionally been used as palliative options for primary biliary tract tumors. However, biliary diversion only provides temporary relief and does not remove the tumor. Primary biliary tract tumors often present in advanced stages, making palliative treatment the primary option for improving the quality of life of patients.

Keywords: Cholangiocarcinoma; Palliative care; Endoscopic treatment; Surgery; Complications; Interventional radiology

Core Tip: Nowadays, we still see a high incidence of primary biliary tract tumors arriving at emergency departments with a clinical picture of jaundice of unknown etiology. Unfortunately, when jaundice is diagnosed, most patients already show signs of advanced disease. It is up to the attending physician to offer the best alternatives for palliative treatment for a better quality of life of patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the interventional palliative treatment options currently used to clinically improve symptoms and their results and related complications.