title: Efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma: A meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Photodynamic therapy with the placement of a biliary stent may improve the prognosis in patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this research is to determine the hazard ratio of photodynamic therapy with stent compared to biliary stenting alone or other therapies for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Several databases were searched from inception to December 31 2013 for trials comparing photodynamic therapy+stent vs. stent-only or other treatments for cholangiocarcinoma. The outcomes of interest included patient survival, the changes of serum bilirubin levels, the quality of life (Karnofsky performance status), and adverse events. The hazard ratios (HR) were extracted from the survival curves using Tierney's Method. LnHR and its variance were pooled using an inverse variance-weighted average. Inconsistency was quantified using I(2) statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 8 trials comparing PDT+stent with other therapeutic methods were selected. We made a meta-analysis based on the 7 trials, which compared the result of PDT+stent and the stent-only group. HR summarizes the survival for the two groups. Overall survival was significantly better in patients who received photodynamic therapy than those who did not [HR=0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.33∼0.73, P=0.0005]. Among the 8 trials (642 subjects), 5 assessed the changes of serum bilirubin levels, and/or Karnofsky performance status, as other indications for improvement. In all, the incidence for phototoxic reaction is 11.11%. The incidence for other events in photodynamic therapy and the stent-only group was 13.64% and 12.79%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The palliative treatment of cholangiocarcinoma, with photodynamic therapy, is associated with an increased survival benefit, an improved biliary drainage, and a better quality of life. However, the quality of this evidence is low.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Endoscopy Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Digestive Endoscopy Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Digestive Endoscopy Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Jia-chuan
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Digestive Endoscopy Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Li-Ke
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Bie
authors.affiliation: Digestive Endoscopy Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200025, China. Electronic address: gbercp616@163.com.
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome