Targeted Therapy in Biliary Tract Cancers.
A paradigm shift towards molecular-based, personalized cancer therapeutics has occurred in recent years and a number of targeted drugs have emerged. Various targeted therapies like erlotinib, trastuzumab, and cetuximab have been approved in lung, breast, and colon cancers, respectively. Numerous clinical trials involving targeted drugs in biliary tract cancers are currently in progress, though none have been approved for this disease. Biliary tract cancers are divided into separate entities both anatomically and in terms of pathogenesis but are grouped together in most trials given their rarity. Combination chemotherapy involving cisplatin and gemcitabine is the current standard of care in the metastatic setting. In this review, we will discuss the various molecular pathways implicated in biliary tract cancers and potential therapeutic targets.
Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, 1695 Eastchester Road, 2nd Floor, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
Amartej
A
Merla
Kenneth G
KG
Liu
Lakshmi
L
Rajdev
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000639:trends*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents