In the Literature

The HER2-targeted therapies pertuzumab and trastuzumab have improved patient outcomes in several cancer types.

The combination of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare primary liver malignancy known as combined HCC and CCA (cHCC-­CCA).

The overall survival of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC), the most common cancer of the biliary tract, is poor, largely because of delayed diagnosis.

Comprehensive molecular profiling has demonstrated a diverse landscape of oncogenic genomic alterations in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), which are often the drivers of CCA. In a recent review article, Tanios S. Bekaii-Saab, MD, FACP, Vice Chair and Section Chief for Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix, AZ, and colleagues provided an overview of the molecular heterogeneity of CCA, discussing the role of molecular tests for the diagnosis of patients with intrahepatic CCA, and the implications of the genomic alterations in the treatment of patients with this aggressive disease.

Multimarker tumor panel testing is beneficial in helping to inform treatment choice in precision oncology. However, little is known about the clinic-based and organizational factors related to multimarker tumor panel testing, and why oncologists may not choose this testing.

Although cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare cancer that originates in the bile ducts, its incidence rate continues to rise in the United States, and many patients are diagnosed late, with unresectable tumor and poor prognosis. The majority of patients with extrahepatic CCA, including the perihilar subtype, require referral to a center with expertise in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and interventional radiology, because of the complexities in obtaining a definitive diagnosis and durable biliary drainage.