Adjuvant therapy in biliary tract and gall bladder carcinomas: a review

Cancers of the biliary tract are a relatively rare and aggressive disease that generally present at a locally advanced stage. However, certain geographic areas have a higher incidence of these diseases, and they may be increasing in incidence. The cancer is most commonly adenocarcinoma, arising from the epithelium of the gallbladder, intrahepatic, or extrahepatic biliary ducts. Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC) is sub-classified anatomically as hilar or distal common bile duct (CBD), usually depending on the relation to the cystic duct insertion. The majority of cholangiocarcinoma is hilar (60–70%), followed by distal CBD (20–30%), and intrahepatic (5–15%) (1)