Biliary tract cancers: molecular profiling as a tool for treatment decisions. A literature review.
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.
Berardi
Rossana
R
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
Rossana
Berardi
B
Scartozzi
Mario
M
Mario
Scartozzi
S
Freddari
Federica
F
Federica
Freddari
F
Squadroni
Michela
M
Michela
Squadroni
S
Santinelli
Alfredo
A
Alfredo
Santinelli
S
Bearzi
Italo
I
Italo
Bearzi
B
Fabris
Guidalberto
G
Guidalberto
Fabris
F
Cascinu
Stefano
S
Stefano
Cascinu
C
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
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents