Special Issue Introduction
Special Issue Webinar:
Challenges and Opportunities for Treating Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Cholangiocarcinoma is a neoplasm of biliary epithelial origin, which is generally categorized according to anatomic localization: intra-hepatic (iCCA), hilar, and extra-hepatic. iCCA accounts for 10%-15% of all primary liver cancers worldwide and is the second most common primary liver malignancy after hepatocellular carcinoma with a varying incidence worldwide. There are several risk factors associated with iCCA including older age and female sex. Other risk factors include primary sclerosing cholangitis, hepatolithiasis, choledochal cysts, primary biliary cirrhosis, parasitic biliary infection with
Clonorchis sinensis or
Opisthorchis viverrini, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Despite recent developments in imaging modalities and laboratory diagnostic tests, the diagnosis of the tumor is often delayed until advanced stages when surgery cannot be offered. Therefore, iCCA patients generally have poor prognosis with a short overall survival. Treatment of advanced iCCA typically includes systemic therapy with traditional cytotoxic agents, or targeted agents depending on the mutational status of the tumor. For patients with disease amenable to surgery, treatment involves a margin negative hepatic resection, lymphadenectomy, as well as consideration of adjuvant therapy. The objective of this special issue is to characterize the progress made in treating iCCA, as well as highlight the emerging systemic and locoregional treatments of iCCA.
This Special Issue welcomes original or review manuscripts, perspectives, opinions and commentaries on different aspects of iCCA, including but not limited to:
1. Epidemiology
2. Pathogenesis
3. Imaging
4. Role of preoperative chemotherapy
5. Surgical resection and intraoperative considerations
6. Role of lymphadenectomy
7. Use of thermal ablation
8. Hepatic Artery Pump therapy
9. Intra-arterial / Y90 therapy
10. Novel biomarkers
11. Cytotoxic chemotherapy for advanced and adjuvant indications
12.Targeted mutation-based therapy
Hepatoma Research
