Bile Duct Cancer Clinical Trials

broken image

Bile duct cancer is a very aggressive form of cancer with a very high mortality rate. Being diagnosed too late in life makes the prospect of treatment even worse. For some patients, however, clinical trials can offer an answer to their need for new medical treatment. Clinical trials aim to find new medication for cancer patients, enhance existing treatments and minimize side effects related to prior treatments. The potential benefits of clinical trials include:

- Treatment of advanced cancers. The majority of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are diagnosed at the late stage of the disease, after staging by biopsy, colonoscopy, or endoscopic exploration. These diseases exhibit common symptoms including weight loss, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, jaundice, fever, hematuria, ascites, and increased intraocular pressure. A variety of treatments are available such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and massage.

- Possible treatment of locally advanced cancers. Liver cancer may have spread to the liver pulp, or to nearby lymph nodes and the lymphatic system. In addition, the tumor can extend to the anterior colon, the stomach, the duodenum, the jejunum or the ileum. This extends the cancer's reach and potentially decreases the odds of a successful response to surgery, radiation or hormonal therapy. Patients with nearby lymph nodes and liver functioning are more likely to tolerate holangiocarcinoma treatment options. Tumor support may also improve with additional surgery or chemotherapy.

- Treatment of primary liver cancer or primary cholangiocarcinoma. A large number of bile duct cancer clinical trials protocols have evaluated alternative treatments including immunotherapy, chemical therapy, chemical agents, cryosurgery, radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy and chemoembolization. Chemotherapy is typically used in combination with surgery to remove tumor cells and shrink the affected tissues. Chemotherapy has been found to be effective for patients with recurrent liver cancer or for patients who do not respond well to initial treatments.

- Surgery and radiation therapy. Specific nodules and bulk tumors may require surgery (open-lip wedge resection [ULR] or endoscopic lymph node removal [ELVR]). If these nodules cannot be removed via surgery or if the tumor cells have spread to surrounding lymph nodes or to other organs, then surgery may be required.

- Nodules that do not go away despite medical treatment may be classified as stage i, stage iia, or stage iiIA. Stage i cancers may be reclassified as stage iiiA, IIIB, or stage IIIA cancers. Stage ii cancers may be reclassified as stage iii, stage ii, or stage IIA. Lymph node removal in the presence of disease is rarely required for stage i and iiIA cancers. Lymph node removal may be required for some solid cancers.

This link: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cholangiocarcinoma sheds light into the topic—so check it out!