A Step Forward in the Treatment of Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer

The term “biliary tract cancer” refers primarily to cancers that develop in the gallbladder and bile ducts, although periampullary tumors are often considered part of this group as well. Bile-duct tumors that develop within the liver and the distal biliary tree are referred to as intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, respectively. Periampullary tumors originate at the ampulla of Vater, near the distal common bile duct, duodenum, and head of the pancreas; the precise anatomical origin of these cancers often cannot be determined before operative resection.Among the new cases of biliary tract cancer that are diagnosed every year in the United . . .