Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies in the world, with approximately 1 million new cases recorded annually. More>>

Dr. Kozuch and coauthors have written a comprehensive review of gallbladder and biliary tract carcinoma. We would like to update several issues related to this topic, with particular emphasis on new chemotherapy strategies and drug combinations for improving outcomes. More>>

Cancers of the gallbladder and bile ducts are uncommon, aggressive malignancies that present both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. With an annual incidence of 7,200 cases in the United States, and the difficulty in diagnosing biliary tract tumors, there is a paucity of data supporting therapeutic options. This comprehensive update by Daines et al demonstrates the advances in diagnostic and staging techniques, which have led to appropriate surgical resection. Despite these advances, the... More>>

Gallbladder carcinoma and carcinoma of the bile ducts are relatively rare cancers in the United States. These cancers are often diagnosed in an advanced stage due to their nonspecific symptomatology and until recently have been associated with a dismal prognosis. Recent advances in imaging and surgical techniques along with emerging options in palliative chemotherapy have improved the outlook in these cancers. While complete surgical resection remains the only hope of cure in both these cancers,... More>>

During an evaluation to detect metastatic disease in a 75-year-old woman with recently diagnosed cecal cancer, a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed an incidental finding of a heavily calcified gallbladder. No metastases were found. The patient had no symptoms related to gallbladder disease. More>>

Gallbladder carcinoma and carcinoma of the bile ducts are relatively rare cancers in the United States. These cancers are often diagnosed in an advanced stage due to their nonspecific symptomatology and until recently have been associated with a dismal prognosis. Recent advances in imaging and surgical techniques along with emerging options in palliative chemotherapy have improved the outlook in these cancers. While complete surgical resection remains the only hope of cure in both these cancers,... More>>

Chemotherapy has had limited success in biliary tract cancer. Of the newer agents, gemcitabine (Gemzar) and irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) both have single-agent activity in patients with advanced disease. We conducted a phase II trial to study the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of gemcitabine plus irinotecan in patients with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer. The study has enrolled 14 patients with histologically or cytologically documented cancer of the biliary... More>>

Neoplasms of the biliary tract tree are uncommon and have a poor overall prognosis. Although numerous risk factors have been identified, little is known about the pathogenesis of these tumors, and no effective screening More>>

Dr. Yee and his colleagues have offered a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapy of both gallbladder carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. They correctly note the infrequency of these two neoplasms, with approximately 7,500 cases diagnosed in the United States each year, two-thirds of which are gallbladder cancer. Unfortunately, neither the incidence rate nor prognosis of these neoplasms has changed substantially since biliary tumors were last reviewed in this journal[1];... More>>

Drs. Yee and colleagues have done an excellent job of surveying the treatment of gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinomas. These relatively uncommon tumors are among the more difficult encountered by surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists, as evidenced by the lack of new therapies or change in prognosis over the past several decades. More>>