title: Nonsurgical therapy of biliary tract cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The management of biliary tract cancers (BTCs) has been challenging partly because of the lack of robust data to define a treatment standard. This in turn has been because of the difficulty in conducting large clinical studies in an uncommon cancer, as well as managing elderly and unwell patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent data and improvements in multidisciplinary patient management have established a standard of care and delivered insights into the natural history of this uncommon cancer. This is critical at a time when the incidence of this malignancy is increasing. This article describes the improving multidisciplinary management as well as seminal randomized data describing standard management. Current clinical trials that are likely to further impact on future management are described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These large datasets provide insights into the natural history of BTCs hitherto not forthcoming from the many smaller studies which formed the historical evidence base. This increasing standardization of care will improve outcome for patients with BTCs and provide a platform for further research.
authors.affiliation: University College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bridgewater
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine