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Chemotherapy for Unresectable Cholangiocarcinoma

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Management of Pancreatic Cancer and Cholangiocarcinoma

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Abstract

Systemic treatment is important for patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer. Various treatments using cytotoxic agents, molecular-targeted agents, and immunotherapy have been investigated in this field. For first-line chemotherapy, the combination of gemcitabine plus cisplatin has been established as the global standard of care. In addition, the effects of various regimens such as the combined use of oral fluoropyrimidines have been shown. Furthermore, several regimens that have been shown to be effective in pancreatic cancer are now under investigation for the treatment of biliary tract cancer. However, there has been no standard treatment for second-line chemotherapy. In recent years, several treatments, such as mFOLFOX, ivosidenib, and regorafenib, have demonstrated survival benefits in comparison with best supportive care, meaning that standard treatment may be established in the near future based on these results. Currently, combination therapies with various molecular-targeted drugs and immunotherapy are being investigated in several clinical trials, and it is expected that systemic therapy for advanced biliary tract cancer will become more diverse in the future as it has in other carcinomas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Medicine, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Sasaki

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Correspondence to Takashi Sasaki .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroyuki Isayama

  2. Department of Endoscopy and Endoscopic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Yousuke Nakai

  3. Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Medicine, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Sasaki

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Sasaki, T. (2021). Chemotherapy for Unresectable Cholangiocarcinoma. In: Isayama, H., Nakai, Y., Sasaki, T. (eds) Management of Pancreatic Cancer and Cholangiocarcinoma. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2870-2_10

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