Evaluation and endoscopic palliation of cholangiocarcinoma. Management of cholangiocarcinoma.

Patients with a cholangiocarcinoma usually develop symptoms of biliary obstruction which dominate the course of their illness. At presentation, the diagnosis may be difficult to establish due to the desmoplastic nature of this tumor. Location and extent of the tumor, however, are more effectively evaluated by current radiologic techniques. Following these staging procedures, most patients are found to be unsuitable for curative resection. Therefore, establishing effective biliary drainage to relieve symptoms of obstruction becomes the most critical therapeutic goal in these patients. In the past, surgical biliary bypass procedures were advocated, but were associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality rates. Endoscopic biliary stenting produces quick and effective relief of symptoms from biliary obstruction due to cholangiocarcinoma. Initially, successful biliary drainage is possible in most patients. However, subsequent stent occlusion or spread of tumor into nonstentable intrahepatic ducts leads to recurrent jaundice. Local therapies including (192)Ir brachytherapy and photodynamic therapy may prevent or postpone these problems.