title: Biliary tract cancers: molecular profiling as a tool for treatment decisions. A literature review.
abstract: Biliary tract cancer is a quite rare disease; despite recent significant advances in imaging modalities, most of the patients have advanced disease at presentation thus making radical surgery not feasible. Many different chemotherapeutic regimens have been investigated in small uncontrolled studies, with generally disappointing results. We extensively reviewed the literature on this topic trying to give an explanation to chemoresistance in this setting of patients and considering the molecular profiling as a tool for treatment decision. This review is divided in two parts, in the first one we illustrated chemotherapy results and possible mechanisms of resistance. In the second part we analysed the new molecular targets developing an hypothesis about the future therapeutics perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Clinica di Oncologia Medica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Ospedali Riuniti Umberto I, GM Lancisi, G Salesi di Ancona, via Conca 71, 60020 Ancona, Italy. rossana.berardi@libero.it
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berardi
authors.forename: Berardi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rossana
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scartozzi
authors.forename: Scartozzi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mario
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Freddari
authors.forename: Freddari
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Federica
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Squadroni
authors.forename: Squadroni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michela
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santinelli
authors.forename: Santinelli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alfredo
authors.forename: Italo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bearzi
authors.forename: Bearzi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Italo
authors.forename: Guidalberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Fabris
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guidalberto
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cascinu
authors.forename: Cascinu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefano
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents