Targeted Therapy in Biliary Tract Cancers

Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2015 Oct;16(10):48. doi: 10.1007/s11864-015-0366-0.

Abstract

A paradigm shift towards molecular-based, personalized cancer therapeutics has occurred in recent years and a number of targeted drugs have emerged. Various targeted therapies like erlotinib, trastuzumab, and cetuximab have been approved in lung, breast, and colon cancers, respectively. Numerous clinical trials involving targeted drugs in biliary tract cancers are currently in progress, though none have been approved for this disease. Biliary tract cancers are divided into separate entities both anatomically and in terms of pathogenesis but are grouped together in most trials given their rarity. Combination chemotherapy involving cisplatin and gemcitabine is the current standard of care in the metastatic setting. In this review, we will discuss the various molecular pathways implicated in biliary tract cancers and potential therapeutic targets.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Biliary Tract Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Biliary Tract Neoplasms / pathology
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy / trends*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents