Aktuelle Therapieoptionen beim Cholangiokarzinom

Cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are rare and aggressive tumors that display features of biliary differentiation. Although CCAs comprise approximately only 3% of all gastrointestinal tumors and have an overall incidence of less than 2/100,000, their incidence is increasing in most parts of the world, including the United States, Europe, and Asia. Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment option. Due to the lack of early symptoms and efficient early screening markers, CCAs are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage when surgical resection is no longer an option. In the palliative setting, the chemotherapeutic regimen of gemcitabine plus cisplatin has become established as the standard therapy. However, the prognosis of patients with CCA remains devastating, with a median overall survival of only 12–15 months. This review provides a summary of the standard treatment options and a specific overview of systemic therapy strategies.