December 2021, Vol 2, No 4

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive cancer of the bile duct that forms inside the liver (ie, intrahepatic) or outside the liver (ie, extrahepatic, including perihilar and distal tumors). Individuals with colitis or certain liver diseases may have an increased risk for CCA. Although the precise incidence of CCA is unknown, an estimated 8000 new cases of CCA are diagnosed annually in the United States. It is likely, however, that this number is higher, because CCA is difficult to diagnose and may be misclassified at times.

Experts from around the world emphasized the global burden of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) during a Keynote Panel, “A Global Perspective on CCA: Perspectives on Research and Treatment from the US, EU, Latin America, and Asia” at the 3rd Annual CCA Summit.

Stacie Lindsey, Founder and CEO, Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (CCF), delivered a Keynote Address during the 3rd Annual CCA Summit that centered on the need to work together and to focus on the patient in the development of platform studies for patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and the subsequent analysis of data. Ms Lindsey provided updates regarding the activities of CCF and recent and future activities.

At “The Pharma Pipeline” Roundtable during the 3rd Annual CCA Summit, experts from several pharmaceutical companies discussed recent and upcoming drugs in development for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), emphasizing drug safety and a focus on patients.

Neoadjuvant approaches to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) involve controversies and a lack of data. New clinical trials investigating protocols for hepatic artery infusion (HAI) pumps and liver transplant, were discussed during Session VIII, “New Frontiers in Surgery for CCA,” at the 3rd Annual CCA Summit.

The benefits of next-generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, the need for integration of local and systemic therapies, advanced intraductal interventions, and advanced radiotherapy technologies in biliary tract cancers were addressed in Session VII, “Interventional Oncology and Locoregional Therapy,” at the 3rd Annual CCA Summit.

Rachna T. Shroff, MD, MS, University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, delivered a Keynote Review at the 3rd Annual Summit of studies presented in several 2021 national and international meetings, highlighting advances in treatments targeting FGFR2, IDH1, and HER2 mutations and other alterations that led to recently approved new therapies. She reminded attendees that in 2021, 2 new targeted therapies have been approved by the FDA for patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

Mitesh J. Borad, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Phoenix, AZ, delivered an expert Keynote Perspective at the 3rd Annual Summit, highlighting genomic profiling as the standard of care in the management of patients with intrahepatic cholangio­carci­noma (CCA), with liquid biopsy becoming the tool of choice for geno­mic profiling in biliary tract cancers.

The Third CCA Summit was held on October 21-22, 2021 in New Orleans. For the majority of the cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) community, this was their first “live” meeting since the pandemic.