title: Postoperative endoscopic retrograde high dose-rate brachytherapy for cholangiocarcinoma.
abstract: Cholangiocarcinoma typically presents with disease unlikely to be completely resected, and prognosis remains poor. Improvements in imaging, endoscopy, and stenting have given rise to renewed interest in brachytherapy. Several recent retrospective series suggest a benefit to intraluminal brachytherapy, most commonly delivered by the transhepatic route. We describe a case in which brachytherapy was delivered via the nasobiliary route to address positive margins at the common bile duct stump. A custom catheter was manufactured to make the procedure feasible. Pertinent literature is reviewed, which supports the view that these malignancies benefit from high doses of radiation, if this can be achieved respecting normal tissue tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ove
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Darwin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Haluszka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods; D002404:Catheterization; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male