Biliary Tract Cancer: Epidemiology, Radiotherapy, and Molecular Profiling

Efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus anti-PD-1 agents in patients with refractory advanced biliary tract cancers

BACKGROUND

Anlotinib has demonstrated promising anti-tumor efficacy in various solid tumors. Additionally, there is evidence suggesting that immune therapy can enhance the systemic responses of anlotinib. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of combining anlotinib with PD-1 inhibitors compared to fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy as a second-line treatment option for advanced biliary tract cancers (BTCs).

METHODS

A total of 242 patients with BTCs were screened at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2015 to October 2022. Among them, 78 patients who received either anlotinib plus PD-1 inhibitors (AP) or fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (FB) as second-line treatment were included in the study. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), safety, and predictive tumor biomarkers.

RESULTS

Among the 78 patients with BTCs, 39 patients received AP, while 39 patients were administered FB. The ORR in the AP group was 20.5%, compared to 5.1% in the FB group. The DCR was 87.2% in the AP group and 66.7% in the FB group. The AP group demonstrated significantly better ORR and DCR compared to the FB group (p = 0.042, p = 0.032). The median PFS and OS in the AP group were 7.9 months (95% CI: 4.35-11.45) and 13.9 months (95% CI: 5.39-22.41), respectively. In the FB group, the median PFS and OS were 4.1 months (95% CI: 3.17-5.03) and 13.2 months (95% CI: 8.72-17.68), respectively. The AP group exhibited significantly better median PFS than the FB group (p = 0.027). In the subgroup analysis, patients without liver metastasis had a much longer PFS in the AP group compared to the FB group (14.3 vs. 5.5 months, p = 0.016). Similarly, patients with CEA ≤ 5 μg/L also demonstrated a longer PFS in the AP group compared to the FB group (8.7 vs. 3.9 months, p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of anlotinib and PD-1 inhibitors demonstrated a promising clinical effect compared to fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy in the second-line treatment of refractory advanced BTCs. Liver metastases and CEA levels may serve as predictive factors for identifying patients who may benefit from AP therapy.

Primary pure squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder

SummarySquamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon and frequently aggressive subtype of gallbladder cancer known for its poor outcomes compared with other gallbladder tumours. Gallbladder SCC typically presents as higher grade and more advanced than adenocarcinoma, resulting in lower estimated survival. Early recognition of these tumours is ideal, but infrequently achieved. Herein is a case of a male patient in his 80s with new onset abdominal pain who was initially diagnosed with cholecystitis, but diagnostic imaging revealed a gallbladder mass. Surgical resection and pathology revealed pure SCC of the gallbladder without local organ invasion or metastatic disease. Pure SCC histology of the gallbladder is rare, with limited studies on clinical presentation, natural history, and optimal treatment.

Bintrafusp alfa and chemotherapy as first-line treatment in biliary tract cancer: A randomized phase 2/3 trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

We compared the safety and efficacy of bintrafusp alfa (BA) in combination with gemcitabine+cisplatin (GemCis), to those of GemCis alone, in patients with biliary tract cancer.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, adaptive design phase 2/3 trial (NCT04066491) included adults who are treatment-naive with locally advanced/metastatic biliary tract cancer. Patients (N = 297) were randomized to receive an IV infusion of BA (2400 mg once/3 wk) plus GemCis (gemcitabine 1000 mg/m 2 +cisplatin 25 mg/m 2 on days 1 and 8/3 wk; 8 cycles) (BA group, n = 148) or placebo+GemCis (placebo group, n = 149). The primary end point was overall survival (OS). For adaptation analysis (phase 2-phase 3; data cutoff: May 20, 2021), efficacy was assessed in the first 150 patients who were antibiotic-naive when 80 progression-free survival events had occurred and ≥ 19 weeks of follow-up had been completed (BA, n = 73; placebo, n = 77). Median OS (95% CI) for the BA (11.5 mo [9.3-not estimable]) and placebo (11.5 mo [10.0-not estimable]) groups was comparable (hazard ration 1.23 [95% CI 0.66-2.28]; p = 0.7394); OS data maturity was 27.2% (41 events/151 patients). The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse event was anemia (BA, 26.0%; placebo, 22.8%). Bleeding adverse events were reported more frequently in the BA group (28.8%) versus the placebo group (7.4%). Deaths within 60 days of the first dose were reported in 7.5% and 1.3% of patients in the BA and placebo groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

BA+GemCis did not provide a clinically meaningful benefit compared with GemCis alone as first-line treatment for biliary tract cancer, and the study was discontinued early (terminated: August 20, 2021).

Treatment of Metastatic Biliary Cancers With Irinotecan and 5-Fluorouracil Based Chemotherapy After Platinum/Gemcitabine Progression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Biliary tract carcinomas are cancers that, despite a lower prevalence compared with other gastrointestinal cancers, represent a significant public health burden due to their aggressiveness. The metastatic stage of the disease is highly lethal and difficult to treat. Options of systemic therapies, especially beyond the first line are few and less well established.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of literature databases to identify studies of the combination of irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based chemotherapy as treatment of metastatic biliary tract carcinomas in second line, after first line treatment with platinum/gemcitabine chemotherapy. Both prospective and retrospective designs were admissible. A meta-analysis of identified studies to determine summary estimates for overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was also performed.

RESULTS

The search was performed in PubMed/Medline and in Embase databases and identified a total of 339 articles. Manual review resulted in 8 articles that were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Second line irinotecan/5-FU based combinations produced an ORR of 9.1% (95% CI, 5.5%-12.6%) and DCR of 43.3% (95% CI, 15.8%-70.8%). Summary PFS and OS were 2.7 months (95% CI, 2.3-3.1 months) and 6.8 months (95% CI, 5.6-8.0 months), respectively. Treatments appeared to be feasible with adverse effect profiles as expected from the combination.

CONCLUSION

A moderate activity of second line irinotecan/5-FU based chemotherapy was observed in this meta-analysis. The combination is an option for patients progressing on platinum/gemcitabine chemotherapy, who maintain a sufficient general status to receive active therapy. This combination may also serve as the control arm of second line trials with new targeted agents.

Deleterious alterations in homologous recombination repair genes and efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy in biliary tract cancers

BACKGROUND

Platinum-based chemotherapy represents the standard first-line treatment for biliary tract cancers (BTC). Deficits in genes involved in the homologous recombination (HR) and DNA damage response (DDR) may confer higher sensitivity to platinum agents.

METHODS

We retrospectively included patients affected by BTC from 2 Italian institutions. Inclusion criteria consist of the receipt of platinum-based chemotherapy in the metastatic setting and the availability of comprehensive genomic profiling using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Patients were included in the HRD-like group if demonstrated oncogenic or likely oncogenic alterations in HR-/DDR-genes. Clinical endpoints were compared between the HRD-like group and the non-HRD-like group.

RESULTS

Seventy-four patients were included, of whom 25 (33%) in the HRD-like group and 49 (66%) in the non-HRD group. With a median follow-up of 26.04 months (interquartile-range [IQR] 9.41-29.27) in the HRD-like group and of 22.48 months (IQR 16.86-40.53) in the non-HRD group, no PFS difference emerged, with a mPFS of 5.18 months in the HRD-like group compared to 6.04 months in the non-HRD group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.017, 95% CI 0.58-1.78; P = .95). No differences were observed in DCR (64% [95 CI 45%-83%] vs 73% [95 CI 61%-86%]; P = .4), and CBR (45% [95% CI 28%-73%] vs 50% [95% CI, 37%-68%]; P = .9) between the HRD-like group and non-HRD groups, respectively. Median OS did not statistically differ between the HRD-like group and non-HRD group (26.7 vs 18.0 months, respectively; HR, 0.670, 0.33 to 1.37, P = .27).

CONCLUSION

HR-/DDR-genes, when assessed with regular tumor-only NGS panels, provide limited clinical validity to identify patients with BTC more likely to benefit from platinum-based chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy: A Sharp Curve Turn at the Corner of Targeted Therapy in the Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancers

Biliary tract cancers continue to increase in incidence and have a high mortality rate. Most of the patients present with advanced-stage disease. The discovery of targetable genomic alterations addressing IDH, FGFR, HER2, BRAFV600 E, and others has led to the identification and validation of novel therapies in biliary cancer. Recent advances demonstrating an improved outcome with the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors to chemotherapy have established a new first-line care standard. In case of contraindications to the use of checkpoint inhibitors and the absence of targetable alterations, chemotherapy remains to be the standard of care.

Cholangiocarcinoma of the Common Bile Duct Presenting as Empyema of the Gallbladder: A Rare Case Report

Cholangiocarcinoma of the common bile duct (CBD) presenting as empyema of the gallbladder is a rare entity that poses a risk of septicemia, septic shock, peritonitis, and abscess formation. This case report describes an elderly female presenting with pain in the right hypochondrium, a positive Murphy's sign, and a history of regurgitation and constipation. It highlights the value of imaging in the early diagnosis of this rare presentation of underlying malignancy. The most common cause of empyema of the gallbladder is acute cholecystitis, followed by gallbladder neck obstruction by a calculus. This report discusses the important role of imaging supported by clinical history, examination, laboratory tests, and histopathological findings to diagnose this rare presentation of empyema of the gallbladder as a complication of underlying cholangiocarcinoma. Additionally, it briefly discusses the change in the management line for cholangiocarcinoma patients with complications such as gallbladder perforation and septicemia. The study concludes that the possibility of underlying bile duct malignancy cannot be overlooked in patients with similar symptoms, particularly among the elderly.

Efficacy and Safety of the MDM2-p53 Antagonist Brigimadlin (BI 907828) in Patients with Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: A Case Series

Background

In patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC), first-line chemotherapy plus immunotherapy has improved outcomes; however, second-line options that reflect the disease's molecular heterogeneity are still needed. One emerging target is MDM2, amplified in ~5-8% of BTC cases.

Methods

This is a subset analysis of two ongoing Phase Ia/Ib trials assessing patients treated with brigimadlin (BI 907828; a highly potent, oral MDM2-p53 antagonist) ± ezabenlimab (PD-1 inhibitor) ± BI 754111 (anti-LAG-3; n = 1).

Results

Results from 12 patients with BTC are shown (monotherapy: n = 6/combination: n = 6). Six patients achieved partial response (monotherapy: n = 2/combination: n = 4), four had stable disease; responses were durable. Brigimadlin had a manageable safety profile. Seven patients had dose reductions due to adverse events, but no treatment-related adverse events led to treatment discontinuation.

Conclusion

Brigimadlin demonstrated anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced MDM2-amplified BTC, and warrants further investigation.

A Case of Cholecystitis Camouflaging Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignancy that is hard to detect and resect, due mostly to its location as well as a lack of current screening tests. When found, it is often in the advanced stage as patients are usually asymptomatic during the early course of the disease; the overall prognosis is modest in patients diagnosed at this stage. Here, we discuss the case of a 48-year-old female with no significant past medical history or family history who presented to our hospital with symptoms of acute cholecystitis with a supporting ultrasound. She proceeded to get a laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the same, but an ensuing workup and pathology revealed advanced-stage cholangiocarcinoma. The patient ultimately opted for palliative care given her poor prognosis.

Combined immune checkpoint inhibition with durvalumab and tremelimumab with and without radiofrequency ablation in patients with advanced biliary tract carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Current standard of care for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) is gemcitabine, cisplatin plus anti-PD1/PD-L1, but response rates are modest. The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of durvalumab (anti-PD-L1) and tremelimumab (anti-CTLA-4), with and without an interventional radiology (IR) procedure in advanced BTC.

METHODS

Eligible patients with advanced BTC who had received or refused at least one prior line of systemic therapy were treated with tremelimumab and durvalumab for four combined doses followed by monthly durvalumab alone with and without an IR procedure until the progression of disease or unacceptable toxicity. Objective response was assessed through CT or MRI by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST, version 1.1) every 8 weeks. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded and managed. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients with advanced BTC were enrolled; 17 patients were assigned to treatment with durvalumab and tremelimumab (Durva/Treme); and 6 patients were treated with the combination of durvalumab, tremelimumab plus IR procedure (Durva/Treme + IR). The best clinical responses in the Durva/Treme arm were partial response (n = 1), stable disease (n = 5), progressive disease (n = 5), and in the Durva/Treme + IR arm: partial response (n = 0), stable disease (n = 3), progressive disease (n = 3). The median PFS was 2.2 months (95% CI: 1.3-3.1 months) in the Durva/Treme arm and 2.9 months (95% CI: 1.9-4.7 months) in the Durva/Treme + IR arm (p = 0.27). The median OS was 5.1 months (95% CI: 2.5-6.9 months) in the Durva/Treme arm and 5.8 months (95% CI: 2.9-40.1 months) in the Durva/Treme + IR arm (p = 0.31). The majority of AEs were grades 1-2.

CONCLUSION

Durva/Treme and Durva/Treme + IR showed similar efficacy. With a manageable safety profile. Larger studies are needed to fully characterize the efficacy of Durva/Treme ± IR in advanced BTC.

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy for biliary tract cancer: Advances and limitations

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a rare and aggressive consortium of malignancies, consisting of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder carcinoma. While most patients present with metastatic disease, a minority of patients with BTC are eligible for curative surgical resection at the time of presentation. However, these patients have poor 5-year overall survival rates and high rates of recurrence, necessitating the improvement of the neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of BTC. In this review, we assess the neoadjuvant and adjuvant clinical trials for the treatment of BTC and discuss the challenges and limitations of clinical trials, as well as future directions for the treatment of BTC.

SerpinB3/4 Expression Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the second most common primary liver tumor, is associated with a dismal outcome, and useful prognostic markers are not currently available in clinical practice. SerpinB3, a serine protease inhibitor, was recently found to play a relevant role in malignant transformation in different cancers. The aim of the present study was to determine the expression of SerpinB3/4 in tissue and serum samples of patients with CCA in relation to clinical outcomes. SerpinB3/4 was assessed in the tissue microarrays (TMAs) of 123 surgically resected CCAs. ELISA assays were carried out in 188 patients with CCA to detect the free and IgM-linked forms of SerpinB3/4. Overall survival was analyzed in relation to SerpinB3/4 expression, and Cox models were used to identify the variables associated with survival. High levels of SerpinB3/4 (TMA score 2+/3+) were detected in 15 tumors (12.2%), characterized by a more advanced TNM stage (III/IV: 64.3% vs. 31.3%; p = 0.031) and lower overall patient survival, independently of CCA subclass (intrahepatic CCA: median 1.1 (0.8-Not Estimable, NE) vs. 2.4 (1.8-3.4) years; p = 0.0007; extrahepatic CCA: median 0.8 (0.2-NE) vs. 2.2 (1.5-5.4) years; p = 0.011). Vascular invasion (p = 0.027) and SerpinB3/4 scores (p = 0.0016) were independently associated with mortality in multivariate analysis. Patients who had detectable free or IgM-linked SerpinB3/4 in their serum showed poorer survival (1 vs. 2.4 years, p = 0.015, for free SerpinB3/4, and 1 vs. 2.6 years, p = 0.0026, for SerpinB3/4-IgM). In conclusion, high levels of SerpinB3/4 in tissue and serum in CCA are associated with poor outcomes after surgery, regardless of tumor subclass.

Temporal Trends of Stages and Survival of Biliary Tract Cancers in the United States and Associations with Demographic Factors

BACKGROUND

The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer has been increasing and decreasing respectively in the United States, whereas their mortality has been declining since 1980, which suggests improved overall survival of biliary tract cancers (BTC). We aimed to investigate temporal trends of BTC stages and survival and their associations with demographic factors.

METHODS

A total of 55,163 patients with BTC collected from 2000 to 2018 from the NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 registry were included in this study. We assessed the temporal trend of BTC stages with diagnosis years using the annual percentage of change (APC) in the proportion of the stages. We estimated the association of BTC survival and stages with diagnosis years and demographic factors using the Cox regression models.

RESULTS

While localized BTC proportion remained little changed from 2006 to 2018, the proportion of regional and distant BTCs significantly decreased (APC = -2.3%) and increased (APC = 2.7%), respectively, through the years. The overall and cancer-specific survival increased from 41.0% and 47.3% in 2000 to 2004 to 51.2% and 53.8% in 2015 to 2018, respectively. Patients with BTC who were older, Black, unmarried, or had lower socioeconomic status (SES) had significantly poorer overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that distant and regional BTC significantly increased and decreased, respectively, and the BTC survival significantly improved over time. Age, sex, race, SES, and marital status were significantly associated with overall survival and less evidently with cancer-specific survival of patients with BTC.

IMPACT

Our findings suggest that demographic factors were associated with BTC stages and BTC survival.

Research trends of targeted therapy for cholangiocarcinoma from 2003 to 2022: a bibliometric and visual analysis

In the past 20 years, targeted therapy for cholangiocarcinoma has attracted certain attention. There is a significant upward in papers focusing on this field. In this study, we used bibliometric and visual methods to explore the current status and future directions in cholangiocarcinoma-targeted therapy research. A total of 1057 papers published in English from 2003 to 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection SCI-expanded database. Furthermore, Citespace, Vosviewer, and Excel 2016 were utilized to conduct bibliometric and visual analysis. The volume of annual publications has steadily increased over the past two decades. The USA has published the largest number of publications, and the Mayo Clinic acted as the dominant institution. Cancers, Frontiers in Oncology, and Hepatology were the prolific resources in this research field. Moreover, the co-cited reference analysis uncovered the landmark paper in this field. With regard to research hotspots and frontiers, the burst keywords analysis showed that growth factor receptors and pathogenesis might become the hot topics of future research. To sum up, our study displays the current research status and future directions in the targeted therapy for cholangiocarcinoma. More comprehensive and in-depth investigations should focus on critical genetic mutations and their molecular mechanisms to prompt the molecular-targeted therapy.

Response Assessment of Primary Liver Tumors to Novel Therapies: an Imaging Perspective

The latest developments in cancer immunotherapy, namely the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, have led to a fundamental change in advanced cancer treatments. Imaging is crucial to identify tumor response accurately and delineate prognosis in immunotherapy-treated patients. Simultaneously, advances in image acquisition techniques, notably functional and molecular imaging, have facilitated more accurate pretreatment evaluation, assessment of response to therapy, and monitoring for tumor recurrence. Traditional approaches to assessing tumor progression, such as RECIST, rely on changes in tumor size, while new strategies for evaluating tumor response to therapy, such as the mRECIST and the EASL, rely on tumor enhancement. Moreover, the assessment of tumor volume, enhancement, cellularity, and perfusion are some novel techniques that have been investigated. Validation of these novel approaches should rely on comparing their results with those of standard evaluation methods (EASL, mRECIST) while considering the ultimate outcome, which is patient survival. More recently, immunotherapy has been used in the management of primary liver tumors. However, little is known about its efficacy. This article reviews imaging modalities and techniques for assessing tumor response and survival in immunotherapy-treated patients with primary hepatic malignancies.

ARID1A Mutation from Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing Predicts Primary Resistance to Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Chemotherapy in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer

PURPOSE

There are clinical unmet needs in predicting therapeutic response and precise strategy for the patient with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). We aimed to identify genomic alterations predicting therapeutic response and resistance to gemcitabine and cisplatin (Gem/Cis)-based chemotherapy in advanced BTC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Genomic analysis of advanced BTC multi-institutional cohorts was performed using targeted panel sequencing. Genomic alterations were analyzed integrating patients' clinicopathologic data, including clinical outcomes of Gem/Cis-based therapy. Significance of genetic alterations was validated using clinical next-generation sequencing (NGS) cohorts from public repositories and drug sensitivity data from cancer cell lines.

RESULTS

193 BTC patients from three cancer centers were analyzed. Most frequent genomic alterations were TP53 (55.5%), KRAS (22.8%), ARID1A (10.4%) alterations, and ERBB2 amplification (9.8%). Among 177 patients with BTC receiving Gem/Cis-based chemotherapy, ARID1A alteration was the only independent predictive molecular marker of primary resistance showing disease progression for 1st-line chemotherapy in the multivariate regression model (odds ratio, 3.12; p=0.046). In addition, ARID1A alteration was significantly correlated with inferior progression-free survival on Gem/Cis-based chemotherapy in the overall patient population (p=0.033) and in patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) (p=0.041). External validation using public repository NGS revealed that ARID1A mutation was a significant predictor for poor survival in BTC patients. Investigation of multi-OMICs drug sensitivity data from cancer cell lines revealed that cisplatin-resistance was exclusively observed in ARID1A mutant bile duct cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

Integrative analysis with genomic alterations and clinical outcomes of the first-line Gem/Cis-based chemotherapy in advanced BTC revealed that patients with ARID1Aalterations showed a significant worse clinical outcome, especially in extrahepatic CCA. Well-designed prospective studies are mandatory to validate the predictive role of ARID1Amutation.

Association between Smoking Cessation and the Risk of Cholangiocarcinoma and Ampulla of Vater Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Introduction

The association between smoking cessation and intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA and eCCA) risk is unclear. Furthermore, the association in individuals with preexisting risk factors is unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between smoking status (especially smoking cessation) and CCA risk according to individuals' glycemic status.

Methods

In this nationwide cohort study, 9,520,629 adults without cancer who underwent national health screening by the Korean National Health Insurance Service in 2009 were followed up through 2018. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CCA were estimated after adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

During the 78.3 person-years of follow-up, 16,236 individuals were newly diagnosed with CCA. Quitters had a significantly lower risk of iCCA and eCCA compared to current smokers in all glycemic status groups (all p < 0.01). The HRs (95% CIs) for iCCA in current smokers and quitters were 1.33 (1.24-1.43) versus 0.98 (0.90-1.06) in individuals with normoglycemia, 1.49 (1.37-1.63) versus 1.17 (1.06-1.28) in individuals with prediabetes, and 2.15 (1.96-2.37) versus 1.58 (1.42-1.75) in individuals with diabetes, compared to never-smokers with normoglycemia. Current smokers with diabetes or prediabetes had a synergistically increased risk of iCCA (all p < 0.01). However, quitters with diabetes and prediabetes had an iCCA risk comparable to that of never-smokers. Analysis of eCCA yielded similar results. Smoking was not independently associated with the risk of the ampulla of Vater cancer. However, smoking combined with diabetes or prediabetes was associated with an increased risk of the ampulla of Vater cancer (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Smoking cessation was associated with a reduced risk of CCA, despite the synergistically increased risk in current smokers with diabetes and prediabetes. Our findings suggest a crucial opportunity to reduce the risk of CCA. More individualized and intensive cancer prevention education is needed against CCA.

Targetable Molecular Alterations in the Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancers: An Overview of the Available Treatments

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are rare tumours, most often diagnosed at an unresectable stage, associated with poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate not exceeding 10%. Only first- and second-line treatments are well codified with the combination of cisplatin-gemcitabine chemotherapy and immunotherapy followed by 5-FU and oxaliplatin chemotherapy, respectively. Many studies have shown that BTC, and more particularly intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), have a high rate of targetable somatic alteration. To date, the FDA has approved several drugs. Ivosidenib targeting IDH1 mutations, as well as futibatinib and pemigatinib targeting FGFR2 fusions, are approved for pre-treated advanced CCA. The combination of dabrafenib and trametinib are approved for BRAFV600E mutated advanced tumours, NTRK inhibitors entrectinib and larotrectinib for tumours bearing NTRK fusion and prembrolizumab for MSI-H advanced tumours, involving a small percentage of BTC in these three settings. Several other potentially targetable alterations are found in BTC, such as HER2 mutations or amplifications or KRASG12C mutations and mutations in genes involved in DNA repair mechanisms. This review aims to clarify the specific diagnostic modalities for gene alterations and to summarize the results of the main trials and developments underway for the management of advanced BTC with targetable alterations.

Phase 2 trial of bintrafusp alfa as second-line therapy for patients with locally advanced/metastatic biliary tract cancers

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Biliary tract cancers are rare, heterogeneous cancers with poor prognoses. Bintrafusp alfa, a first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of the extracellular domain of TGF-βRII (a TGF-β "trap") fused to a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody blocking programmed death ligand 1, was evaluated in patients with locally advanced/metastatic chemorefractory biliary tract cancers.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

This multicenter, single-arm, open-label, phase 2 study (NCT03833661) enrolled adults with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer that was intolerant to or had failed first-line systemic platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients received 1200 mg bintrafusp alfa intravenously Q2W. The primary endpoint was confirmed objective response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 assessed by IRC. Secondary endpoints included duration of response, durable response rate, safety, progression-free survival, and overall survival.Between March 2019 and January 2020, 159 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up was 16.1 (range, 0.0-19.3) months; 17 patients (10.7%; 95% CI: 6.4%-16.6%) achieved an objective response. Median duration of response was 10.0 (range, 1.9-15.7) months; 10 patients (6.3%; 95% CI: 3.1%-11.3%) had a durable response (≥6 mo). Median progression-free survival was 1.8 months (95% CI: 1.7-1.8 mo); median overall survival was 7.6 months (95% CI: 5.8-9.7 mo). Overall survival rates were 57.9% (6 mo) and 38.8% (12 mo). Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 26.4% of patients, including one treatment-related death (hepatic failure). Frequent grade ≥3 adverse events included anemia (3.8%), pruritus (1.9%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (1.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although this study did not meet its prespecified primary endpoint, bintrafusp alfa demonstrated clinical activity as second-line treatment in this hard-to-treat cancer, with durable responses and a manageable safety profile.

The link between Helicobacter pylori infection and gallbladder and biliary tract diseases: A review

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative pathogen commonly associated with peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. H. pylori infection has also been reported in cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, gallbladder polyps, and biliary tract cancers. However, the association between H. pylori and gallbladder and biliary tract pathologies remains unclear due to the paucity of literature. In response to the current literature gap, we aim to review and provide an updated summary of the association between H. pylori with gallbladder and biliary tract diseases and its impact on their clinical management. Relevant peer-reviewed studies were retrieved from Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. We found that H. pylori infection was associated with cholelithiasis, chronic cholecystitis, biliary tract cancer, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and primary biliary cholangitis but not with gallbladder polyps. While causal links have been reported, prospective longitudinal studies are required to conclude the association between H. pylori and gallbladder pathologies. Clinicians should be aware of the implications that H. pylori infection has on the management of these diseases.

Mutational spectrum for guiding the decision of adjuvant treatment in patients with resected biliary tract carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Systemic chemotherapy or chemoradiation therapy has proven to be effective in treating advanced biliary tract carcinoma (BTC). However, its efficacy in the adjuvant setting remains controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prognostic significance of genomic biomarkers in resected BTC and their potential role in stratifying patients for adjuvant treatment.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 113 BTC patients who underwent curative-intent surgery and had available tumor sequencing data. Disease-free survival (DFS) was the primary outcome examined and univariate analysis was used to identify gene mutations with prognostic value. Favorable and unfavoratble gene subsets were distinguished from the selected genes through grouping, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors of DFS.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that mutations in ACVR1B, AR, CTNNB1, ERBB3, and LRP2 were favorable mutations, while mutations in ARID1A, CDKN2A, FGFR2, NF1, NF2, PBRM1, PIK3CA, and TGFBR1 were unfavorable mutations. In addition to age, sex, and node positive, favorable genes (HR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.04-0.48, p = 0.001) and unfavorable genes (HR = 2.86, 95% CI = 1.51-5.29, p = 0.001) were identified as independent prognostic factors for DFS. Out of the 113 patients, only 35 received adjuvant treatment whereas the majority (78) did not. For patients with both favorable and unfavorable mutations undetected, adjuvant treatment showed negative effect on DFS (median DFS: S441 vs. 956 days, p = 0.010), but there was no significant difference in DFS among those in other mutational subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Genomic testing might be useful in guiding the decisions regarding adjuvant treatment in BTC.

Paradigm shift of chemotherapy and systemic treatment for biliary tract cancer

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are frequently identified at late stages and have a poor prognosis due to limited systemic treatment regimens. For more than a decade, the combination of gemcitabine and cis-platin has served as the first-line standard treatment. There are few choices for second-line chemo-therapy. Targeted treatment with fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 inhibitors, neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase inhibitors, and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 inhibitors has had important results. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) such as pembrolizumab are only used in first-line treatment for microsatellite instability high patients. The TOPAZ-1 trial's outcome is encouraging, and there are several trials underway that might soon put targeted treatment and ICI combos into first-line options. Newer targets and agents for existing goals are being studied, which may represent a paradigm shift in BTC management. Due to a scarcity of targetable mutations and the higher toxicity profile of the current medications, the new category of drugs may occupy a significant role in BTC therapies.

Hepatocellular-Cholangiocarcinoma Collision Tumors: An Update of Current Management Practices

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) is a rare form of primary hepatic collision tumor, with an incidence ranging from 0.4 to 14.2%. Given the diagnostic challenges and lack of randomized trials, standardized treatment has yet to be established. We aim to review the literature to summarize the diagnosis, molecular characteristics, current treatment modalities, and challenges for cHCC-CC. A literature review was performed using PubMed. We included studies investigating and describing cHCC-CC, focusing on surgical, medical, and radiologic treatments. Overall prognosis is poor, with a 5-year survival rate under 30%. Minor or major hepatectomy with R0 resection is the only curative treatment; however, recurrence is likely (as high as 50% within 5 years). The role of liver transplantation is also highly debated given the biliary nature of these tumors, with cHCC-CC as a relative contraindication for liver transplantation. Although gemcitabine-based treatments had higher progression-free survival over sorafenib, there is no standard chemotherapy regimen. Treatment with gemcitabine and platinum demonstrates improved disease control rates compared to gemcitabine in conjunction with 5-fluorouracil (78.4% verse 38.5% respectively). Additionally, platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens exhibit a higher overall response rate than non-platinum regimens (21.4% verse 7.0% respectively). These molecular-directed therapies have prolonged survival for HCC, but further investigation needs to be done to assess their utility in patients with cHCC-CC. cHCC-CC is a rare and complex subset of primary hepatic neoplasms with a dismal prognosis and unstandardized treatment options. Further trials need to be performed to investigate systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy options for patients with unresectable disease.

Austrian tricentric real-life analysis of molecular profiles of metastatic biliary tract cancer patients

Introduction

Metastatic biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a rare and aggressive entity associated with poor prognosis. It represents a major challenge for adequate treatment strategies. In recent years, BTC has become a model for precision medicine in gastrointestinal oncology. Therefore, the analysis of the individual molecular profile in BTC patients may lead to targeted therapies for the benefit of patients.

Methods

In this Austrian, tricentric, real-world, retrospective analysis, we investigated patients diagnosed with metastatic BTC who underwent molecular profiling between 2013 and 2022.

Results

In total, 92 patients were identified in this tricentric analysis and 205 molecular aberrations, including 198 mutations affecting 89 different genes in 61 patients were found. The predominant mutations were in KRAS (n=17; 22.4%), TP53 (n=17; 22.4%), PIK3CA (n=7; 9.2%), FGFR2 (n=7; 9.2%), DNMT3A (n=7; 9.2%), IDH1 (n=7; 9.2%), IDH2 (n=6; 7.9%), CDKN2A (n=6; 7.9%), BAP1 (n=4; 5.3%), NF1 (n=4; 5.3%), and NF2 (n=4; 5.3%). Three patients had HER2 amplification. MSI-H status and FGFR2 fusion genes were each observed in two different patients. One patient had a BRAF V600E mutation. Eventually, 10 patients received targeted therapy, of whom one-half derived clinical benefit.

Conclusions

Molecular profiling of BTC patients is implementable in routine clinical practice and should be regularly employed to detect and exploit molecular vulnerabilities.

Model-based cost-utility analysis of gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1 as triple therapy for advanced biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND

The results of the KHBO1401-MITSUBA trial suggest the effectiveness of triple therapy using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1; however, the cost-effectiveness of this treatment regimen remains unclear.

AIM

We conducted a cost-utility analysis comparing triple therapy using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1 with doublet therapy using gemcitabine and cisplatin for advanced biliary tract cancer from the perspective of a Japanese healthcare payer to investigate the economic sustainability of healthcare interventions.

METHOD

Based on the results of the KHBO1401-MITSUBA clinical trial, a partitioned survival model set over a 10-year time horizon was developed. Cost and utility data were sourced from previous studies. Health outcomes were measured as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Direct medical costs included drug costs and medical fees. The uncertainty and robustness of the model were evaluated using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. The willingness-to-pay threshold was set at 7.5 million Japanese yen (68,306 US dollars).

RESULTS

Base case analysis revealed an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for triple therapy at 4,458,733 Japanese yen (40,608 US dollars) per QALY. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the parameter variation in the overall survival curves for each therapy had impacts exceeding the threshold. According to probabilistic sensitivity analysis, triple therapy had an 83.1% chance of being cost-effective at the threshold, and the 95% credible interval for the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 4,382,972-4,514,257 JPY (39,918-41,113 US dollars).

CONCLUSION

Triple therapy using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1 is cost-effective for the primary treatment of biliary tract cancer in the Japanese healthcare system.

Clinicopathological Significance of Cell Adhesion Molecule 4 Expression in Gallbladder Cancer and Its Prognostic Role

Cell adhesion molecule 4 (CADM4) is involved in intercellular interactions and is a tumor-suppressor candidate. The role of CADM4 in gallbladder cancer (GBC) has not been reported. Therefore, the clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of CADM4 expression in GBC were evaluated in the present study. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 100 GBC tissues to assess CADM4 expression at the protein level. The association between CADM4 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of GBC was analyzed, and the prognostic significance of CADM4 expression was evaluated. Low CADM4 expression was significantly associated with advanced T category (p = 0.010) and high AJCC stage (p = 0.019). In a survival analysis, low CADM4 expression was associated with shorter overall survival (OS; p = 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (RFS; p = 0.018). In univariate analyses, low CADM4 expression was associated with shorter OS (p = 0.002) and RFS (p = 0.023). In multivariate analyses, low CADM4 expression was an independent prognostic factor of OS (p = 0.013). Low CADM4 expression was associated with tumor invasiveness and poor clinical outcomes in patients with GBC. CADM4 may play an important role in cancer progression and patient survival and can be used as a potential prognostic marker of GBC.

Precision Oncology Targets in Biliary Tract Cancer

Targeted therapies in biliary tract cancer (BTC) are emerging as options for patients not who do not respond to first-line treatment. Agents acting on tumor-specific oncogenes in BTC may target fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), B-raf kinase (BRAF), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). Additionally, given the heterogeneous genetic landscape of advanced BTCs, many harbor genetic aberrations that are common among solid tumors, including RET fusions, tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions, and high tumor mutational burden (TMB). This review aims to provide updates on the evolving array of therapeutics available, and to summarize promising works on the horizon.

Efficacy and safety of lenvatinib combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus Gemox chemotherapy in advanced biliary tract cancer

Background

Lenvatinib combined with anti-PD-1 antibodies and systemic chemotherapy has demonstrated a relatively high antitumor activity for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in phase 2 clinical trials. However, its efficacy and safety in advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) has not been reported in a real-world study.

Methods

Patients with advanced BTC who received lenvatinib combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus oxaliplatin and gemcitabine (Gemox) chemotherapy were retrospectively screened. The overall survival, progression-free survival, objective response rate, disease control rate, clinical benefit rate, and safety were evaluated.

Results

Fifty-seven patients with advanced BTC were included in the study. The median follow-up time was 15.1 (95% CI: 13.6-19.7) months. The median overall survival and progression-free survival were 13.4 (95% CI: 10.0-NA), and 9.27 (95% CI: 7.1-11.6) months, respectively. The objective response rate, disease control rate and clinical benefit rate were 43.9% (95% CI: 31.8%-56.7%), 91.2% (95% CI: 81.1%-96.2%), and 73.7% (95% CI: 61.0%-83.4%), respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that the first-line treatment group had a longer median progression-free survival (12.13 vs. 6.77 months, P<0.01) and median overall survival (25.0 vs. 11.6 months, P=0.029) than the non-first-line treatment group. Moreover, three patients underwent conventional surgery after treatment. All patients (100%) experienced adverse events, and 45.6% (26/57) experienced grade 3 or 4 adverse events. The most commonly observed grade 3 or 4 adverse events was myelosuppression (7/57, 12.3%). No grade 5 adverse events were reported.

Conclusion

Lenvatinib combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and Gemox chemotherapy represents an effective and tolerable treatment option in patients with advanced BTC.

Identification of immune related gene signature for predicting prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma patients

Objective

To identify the gene subtypes related to immune cells of cholangiocarcinoma and construct an immune score model to predict the immunotherapy efficacy and prognosis for cholangiocarcinoma.

Methods

Based on principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-cholangiocarcinoma, GSE107943 and E-MTAB-6389 datasets were combined as Joint data. Immune genes were downloaded from ImmPort. Univariate Cox survival analysis filtered prognostically associated immune genes, which would identify immune-related subtypes of cholangiocarcinoma. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) further screened immune genes with prognosis values, and tumor immune score was calculated for patients with cholangiocarcinoma after the combination of the three datasets. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis determined the optimal cut-off value, which was applied for dividing cholangiocarcinoma patients into low and high immune score group. To explore the differences in tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy between immune cell-related subtypes and immune score groups of cholangiocarcinoma.

Results

34 prognostic immune genes and three immunocell-related subtypes with statistically significant prognosis (IC1, IC2 and IC3) were identified. Among them, IC1 and IC3 showed higher immune cell infiltration, and IC3 may be more suitable for immunotherapy and chemotherapy. 10 immune genes with prognostic significance were screened by LASSO regression analysis, and a tumor immune score model was constructed. Kaplan-Meier (KM) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that RiskScore had excellent prognostic prediction ability. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that 6 gene (NLRX1, AKT1, CSRP1, LEP, MUC4 and SEMA4B) of 10 genes were abnormal expressions between cancer and paracancer tissue. Immune cells infiltration in high immune score group was generally increased, and it was more suitable for chemotherapy. In GSE112366-Crohn's disease dataset, 6 of 10 immune genes had expression differences between Crohn's disease and healthy control. The area under ROC obtained 0.671 based on 10-immune gene signature. Moreover, the model had a sound performance in Crohn's disease.

Conclusion

The prediction of tumor immune score model in predicting immune microenvironment, immunotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with cholangiocarcinoma has shown its potential for indicating the effect of immunotherapy on patients with cholangiocarcinoma.

Prognostic and Clinical Value of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index in Biliary Tract Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Previous studies that explored the prognostic and clinical value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in biliary tract cancer (BTC) had inconsistent results. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic and clinicopathological role of the SII in biliary tract cancer. Combined analysis demonstrated that high SII levels had worse overall survival (HR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.66-2.21, p < 0.001) than those with low SII levels. And an elevated SII was associated with lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.18-1.76; p < 0.001), TNM stage (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.05-2.13; p = 0.028), and vascular invasion (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.05-2.13; p = 0.028). Conversely, no significant association between a high SII and sex or tumor differentiation was found. Our findings demonstrate that high SII levels were correlated with unfavorable survival outcomes among patients with BTC and that they were also correlated with some higher malignancy features of BTC.

Gallbladder Cancer: Current Multimodality Treatment Concepts and Future Directions

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common primary tumor site of biliary tract cancer (BTC), accounting for 0.6% of newly diagnosed cancers and 0.9% of cancer-related deaths. Risk factors, including female sex, age, ethnic background, and chronic inflammation of the gallbladder, have been identified. Surgery is the only curative option for early-stage GBC, but only 10% of patients are primary eligible for curative treatment. After neoadjuvant treatment, up to one-third of locally advanced GBC patients could benefit from secondary surgical treatment. After surgery, only a high-risk subset of patients benefits from adjuvant treatment. For advanced-stage GBC, palliative chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin is the current standard of care in line with other BTCs. After the failure of gemcitabine and cisplatin, data for second-line treatment in non-resectable GBC is poor, and the only recommended chemotherapy regimen is FOLFOX (5-FU/folinic acid and oxaliplatin). Recent advances with the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab open the therapy landscape for immune checkpoint inhibition in GBC. Meanwhile, targeted therapy approaches are a cornerstone of GBC therapy based on molecular profiling and new evidence of molecular differences between different BTC forms and might further improve the prognosis of GBC patients.

Recommendations of the clinical target volume for the para-aortic region based on the patterns of lymph node metastasis in patients with biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND

Even though the clinical target volume (CTV) in biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients has been proposed by several previous studies, the para aortic CTV for BTC is still not well-defined. The objective of this study was to determine the precise delineation of the para aortic CTV for BTC according to the distribution pattern and failure pattern of lymph nodes.

METHODS

Computed tomography (CT)-, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)- or positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT)-generated images of patients with BTC from 2015 to 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The distribution patterns of lymph nodes in different regions were summarized. The diagnosed para aortic lymph nodes (PALNs) were manually mapped to standard axial CT images. The asymmetric CTV expansions from the para aortic were defined according to the distance from the volumetric centre of lymph node to the most proximal border of aorta.

RESULTS

A total of 251 positive lymph nodes were found in the study cohort (n = 61 patients, 92 PALN). All PALNs were projected onto axial CT image of the standard patient. PALNs were concentrated in the 16a2 and 16b1 regions, and the involvement rates were 17% and 13% respectively. Therefore, the upper boundary of 16a2 and the lower boundary of 16b1 were defined as the cranial and caudal border of para aortic CTV, respectively. For the study cohort, the mean distance from the volume center of all lymph nodes in 16a2 and 16b1 to the proximal border of the aorta was 9 mm (range 4-24) in the front, 7 mm (range 3-14) on the left, and 12 mm (range 5-29) on the right. For the validation cohort (n=19 patients, 56 PALN), the mean distance from the center of the lymph node to the border of the aorta were both 10 mm on the left (range 5-20) and right (range 6-23). The mean distance in front of the aorta was 9 mm (range 5-23). Finally, a CTV expansion from the aorta of 18 mm in the front, 12 mm on the left, and 24 mm on the right resulted in 96% (73/76) coverage of PALNs in the study cohort. At the time of the validation, the described CTV could include 96% (47/49) of recurrent PALNs in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The involvement rates of PALNs in 16a2 and 16b1 were the highest. Based on the distribution of PALNs, a new para-aortic CTV was defined to construct a more accurate target volume for adjuvant radiotherapy in BTC.

Second-Line Chemotherapy in Elderly Patients with Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: A Multicenter Real-World Study

Objectives: The ABC-06 and the NIFTY trials recently established the role of second-line chemotherapy (2L) in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). Our real-world study aimed to explore 2L in BTC patients aged ≥ 70 years old and to compare their outcomes with younger subjects. Methods: Institutional registries across three academic medical centers were retrospectively reviewed. The Kaplan−Meier methods were used to estimate survival, and the log-rank test was used to make comparisons. Results: A total of 190 BTC patients treated with 2L were identified and included in the analysis. Among them, 52 (27.3%) were aged ≥ 70 years (range 70−87 years). No statistically significant differences in both median overall survival (mOS) and median progression-free survival (mPFS) were recorded between the elderly and younger patients. Absolute lymphocyte count < 1000/mmc (p < 0.001) and albumin level < 3 g/dL (p < 0.001) were independently associated with worse prognoses. Conclusions: The results of this real-world study suggest that for patients aged ≥ 70 years, 2L could be equally effective for younger patients with survival outcomes aligned to those from the ABC-06 and NIFTY trials. The delivery of 2L should be carefully evaluated and monitored in this patient subset.

Preoperative Alkaline Phosphatase-adjusted CA19-9 as a Superior Prognosticator for Extrahepatic Biliary Tract Cancer With Jaundice

BACKGROUND/AIM

The major limitation of carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 as a tumor marker is the high incidence of false-positive results during cholestasis. We evaluated preoperative CA19-9 and its adjusted values [ratios of CA19-9 to total-bilirubin (TB), direct-bilirubin (DB), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)] to investigate the most suitable prognostic parameter in extrahepatic biliary tract cancer (eBTC) patients with or without jaundice.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

eBTC patients (n=140) who underwent resection were divided based on the absence (TB <2.0 mg/dl, n=90) or presence (TB ≥2.0 mg/dl, n=50) of preoperative jaundice. Within each group, the associations with overall survival (OS) were assessed for CA19-9, CA19-9/TB, CA19-9/DB and CA19-9/ALP ratios using Cox regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, and area under the curve (AUC) estimates.

RESULTS

In univariate analysis in the group without jaundice, both high CA19-9 and high CA19-9/TB ratio were associated with poor OS, whereas other parameters were not. ROC-AUC for OS prediction was greater in CA19-9 than in the CA19-9/TB ratio, and CA19-9 was identified as an independent prognosticator in multivariate analysis. In the group with jaundice, CA19-9 was not significant; however, CA19-9/TB, CA19-9/DB, and CA19-9/ALP ratios were all associated with poor OS. In ROC-AUC analysis, CA19-9/ALP ratio showed the highest predictive value; furthermore, it was an independent prognosticator in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Adjustment of the CA19-9 value was less useful as a predictor in the absence of jaundice. On the other hand, the CA19-9/ALP ratio showed superior prognostic value in jaundiced patients with eBTC.

Comprehensive germline and somatic genomic profiles of Chinese patients with biliary tract cancer

Background

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is an uncommon but highly lethal malignancy with poor clinical outcomes. To promote the development of precision medicine for BTC, uncovering its genomic profile becomes particularly important. However, studies on the genomic feature of Chinese BTC patients remain insufficient.

Methods

A total of 382 Chinese patients with BTC were enrolled in this study, including 71 with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), 194 with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC), and 117 with gallbladder carcinoma (GBC). Genetic testing was performed by utilizing the next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 499 cancer-related genes and the results were compared to those of Western BTC patients (MSKCC cohorts).

Results

The most prevalent genes were TP53 (51.6%), ARID1A (25.9%), KMT2C (24.6%), NCOR1 (17%), SMAD4 (15.2%), KRAS (14.9%), KMT2D (14.9%), ATM (14.1%), and APC (13.9%) in Chinese BTC patients. TP53, SMAD4, and APC were more prevalent in GBC, ECC, and ICC, respectively. In addition, 10.5% of Chinese BTC patients harbored pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline alterations in 41 genes, which were mainly related to DNA damage repair (DDR). Additionally, the genomic features of Chinese and Western BTC tumors were similar, with the exception of the notable difference in the prevalence of TP53, KRAS, IDH1, KMT2C, and SMAD4. Notably, Chinese BTC patients had high prevalence (57.1%) of actionable alterations, especially for those with ECC, and half (192/382) of them had somatic DDR alterations, with the prevalence of deleterious ones being significantly higher than their Western counterparts. Twenty-three percent of patients had a higher tumor mutational burden (TMB-H, over 10 mutations/MB), and TMB was significantly higher in those with deleterious DDR alterations and/or microsatellite instability-high. The most common mutational signature in BTC patients was Signature 1, and interestingly, Signatures 1, 4, and 26 were significantly associated with higher TMB level, but not with the survival of patients who had received immunotherapy in pan-cancer.

Conclusion

Our study elaborated the distinct germline and somatic genomic characteristics of Chinese BTC patients and identified clinically actionable alterations, highlighting the possibility for the development and application of precision medicine.

Temporal Changes in Cholangiocarcinoma Incidence and Mortality in the United States from 2001 to 2017

Background

Previous studies report increasing cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) incidence up to 2015. This contemporary retrospective analysis of CCA incidence and mortality in the US from 2001-2017 assessed whether CCA incidence continued to increase beyond 2015.

Patients and Methods

Patients (≥18 years) with CCA were identified in the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 cancer registry (International Classification of Disease for Oncology [ICD-O]-3 codes: intrahepatic [iCCA], C221; extrahepatic [eCCA], C240, C241, C249). Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) cases were identified (ICD-O-3: C809; 8140/2, 8140/3, 8141/3, 8143/3, 8147/3) because of potential misclassification as iCCA.

Results

Forty-thousand-and-thirty CCA cases (iCCA, n=13,174; eCCA, n=26,821; iCCA and eCCA, n=35) and 32,980 CUP cases were analyzed. From 2001-2017, CCA, iCCA, and eCCA incidence (per 100 000 person-years) increased 43.8% (3.08 to 4.43), 148.8% (0.80 to 1.99), and 7.5% (2.28 to 2.45), respectively. In contrast, CUP incidence decreased 54.4% (4.65 to 2.12). CCA incidence increased with age, with greatest increase among younger patients (18-44 years, 81.0%). Median overall survival from diagnosis was 8, 6, 9, and 2 months for CCA, iCCA, eCCA, and CUP. From 2001-2016, annual mortality rate declined for iCCA (57.1% to 41.2%) and generally remained stable for eCCA (40.9% to 37.0%) and for CUP (64.3% to 68.6%).

Conclusions

CCA incidence continued to increase from 2001-2017, with greater increase in iCCA versus eCCA, whereas CUP incidence decreased. The divergent CUP versus iCCA incidence trends, with overall greater absolute change in iCCA incidence, provide evidence for a true increase in iCCA incidence that may not be wholly attributable to CUP reclassification.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Capecitabine Plus Oxaliplatin Versus Gemcitabine Plus Oxaliplatin as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers

Background: In the first-line treatment of biliary tract cancers (BTCs), XELOX (capecitabine plus oxaliplatin) showed comparable clinical efficacy and safety to gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX), with fewer visits and better treatment management. Our study aims to investigate the cost-effectiveness of XELOX and GEMOX as the first-line therapy for BTCs from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare systems and to provide valuable suggestions for clinical decision-making.

Methods: A Markov model was developed using the phase 3 randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01470443) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of XELOX and GEMOX. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were used as the primary outcomes of the model. Uncertainty was assessed using univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis.

Results: The QALYs for the XELOX and GEMOX groups were 0.66 and 0.54, respectively. In China, the total cost of XELOX treatment is US $12,275.51, which is lower than that of the GEMOX regimen. In addition, XELOX is more effective than GEMOX, making it the preferred regimen. A sensitivity analysis determined that XELOX therapy has a stable economic advantage in China.

Conclusion: Compared to GEMOX, XELOX is a more cost-effective treatment as a first-line treatment for advanced BTC from the perspective of the Chinese health service system.

Intensive Follow-Up Program and Oncological Outcomes of Biliary Tract Cancer Patients after Curative-Intent Surgery: A Twenty-Year Experience in a Single Tertiary Medical Center

Aim. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of an intensive follow-up program on BTC patients who had received surgery with curative intent at a tertiary referral hospital. Methods. BTC patients were followed-up every three months during the first two years after their first surgery and every six months from the third to the fifth post-operative year. Results. A total of 278 BTC patients who received R0/R1 surgery were included. A total of 17.7% of patients underwent a second surgery following disease relapse, and none of these patients experienced additional disease relapse. Conclusions. An intensive follow-up after surgical resection may help in the early identification of disease relapse, leading to early treatment and prolonged survival in selected cases.

Ablative liver radiotherapy for unresected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Patterns of care and survival in the United States

BACKGROUND

Single-institution studies have shown the oncologic benefit of ablative liver radiotherapy (A-RT) for patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, adoption of A-RT across the United States and its associated outcomes are unknown.

METHODS

We queried the National Cancer Data Base for nonsurgically managed patients with ICC diagnosed between 2004 and 2018. Patients were labeled A-RT for receipt of biologically effective doses (BED10 ) ≥ 80.5 Gy and conventional RT (Conv-RT) for lower doses. Associations with A-RT use and overall survival were identified using logistic and Cox regressions, respectively.

RESULTS

Of 27,571 patients, the most common treatments were chemotherapy without liver RT (45%), no chemotherapy or liver RT (42%), and liver RT ± chemotherapy (13%). Use of liver RT remained constant over time. Of 1112 patients receiving liver RT with known doses, RT was 73% Conv-RT (median BED10 , 53 Gy; median, 20 fractions) and 27% A-RT (median BED10 , 100 Gy; median, 5 fractions). Use of A-RT increased from 5% in 2004 to 48% in 2018 (Ptrend < .001). With a median follow-up of 52.3 months, median survival estimates for Conv-RT and A-RT were 12.8 and 23.7 months (P < .001), respectively. On multivariable analysis, stage III and IV disease correlated with a higher risk of death, whereas chemotherapy and A-RT correlated with a lower risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Although A-RT has been increasingly used, use of liver RT as a whole in the United States remained constant despite growing evidence supporting its use, suggesting continued unmet need. A-RT is associated with longer survival versus Conv-RT.

LAY SUMMARY

Bile duct cancer is a rare, deadly disease that often presents at advanced stages. Single-institution retrospective studies have demonstrated that use of high-dose radiotherapy may be associated with longer survival, but larger studies have not been conducted. We used a large, national cancer registry of patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2018 to show that liver radiotherapy use remains low in the United States, despite growing evidence that patients who receive it live longer. Furthermore, we showed that patients who received high-dose radiotherapy lived longer than those who received lower doses. Greater awareness of the benefits of liver radiotherapy is needed to improve patient outcomes.

Light-to-Moderate Alcohol Consumption Increases the Risk of Biliary Tract Cancer in Prediabetes and Diabetes, but Not in Normoglycemic Status: A Nationwide Cohort Study

PURPOSE

To determine whether the dose-response association between alcohol consumption and the risk of biliary tract cancer (BTC), including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and gallbladder cancer (GBC), differs according to glycemic status.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This nationwide cohort study included 9,520,629 individuals age ≥ 20 years without a history of cancer who underwent national health screening under the Korean National Health Insurance Service in 2009. The participants were followed up until December 2018 for BTC development. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to estimate risk.

RESULTS

During the 78.3 million person-years of follow-up, 21,079 patients were newly diagnosed with BTC. In individuals with prediabetes and diabetes, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption increased the risk of CCA (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.28 and aHR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.47 to 1.69) and GBC (aHR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.31 and aHR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.64). In normoglycemic individuals, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was not associated with CCA or GBC risk. When heavy alcohol consumption was combined with diabetes, CCA and GBC risk increased synergistically (aHR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.83 to 2.26; and aHR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.04, respectively; all P < .001). Prediabetes and heavy alcohol consumption had a synergistic interactive effect on CCA and GBC risks (all P < .001). Comparable results were obtained for intrahepatic and extrahepatic CCA analyses.

CONCLUSION

Even light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of BTC in individuals with prediabetes and diabetes, but not in normoglycemic individuals. Complete avoidance of alcohol consumption may help reduce the risk of BTC in patients with prediabetes and diabetes, suggesting the need for individualized prevention strategies for BTC.

Gemcitabine and cisplatin plus durvalumab with or without tremelimumab in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced biliary tract cancer: an open-label, single-centre, phase 2 study

BACKGROUND

Immunotherapies have shown clinical activity in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer, for which outcomes remain poor despite standard of care treatment with gemcitabine and cisplatin. We aimed to evaluate gemcitabine and cisplatin plus durvalumab with or without tremelimumab as first-line treatment in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.

METHODS

This open-label, single-centre, phase 2 study was conducted at Seoul National University Hospital. Eligible patients were treatment-naïve adults aged 18 years or older with histologically proven unresectable or recurrent biliary tract cancer, at least one measurable lesion based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1), an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, life expectancy of 12 weeks or longer, and adequate healthy organ and bone marrow function. Initially, all patients received one 3-week cycle of gemcitabine (1000 mg/m²) and cisplatin (25 mg/m²) on day 1 and 8 followed by gemcitabine and cisplatin plus durvalumab (1120 mg) and tremelimumab (75 mg) on day 1 of each cycle, starting with the second cycle (chemotherapy followed by chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group). Following protocol amendment, patients were recruited to receive gemcitabine and cisplatin plus durvalumab, starting on day 1 of the first cycle (chemotherapy plus durvalumab group) or gemcitabine and cisplatin plus durvalumab and tremelimumab also from day 1 of the first cycle (chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group) in parallel and allocated using a random block method. Assessors and patients were not masked to the treatment group. The primary endpoint was objective response rate, assessed in the efficacy population (ie, patients who were treated at least until the first tumour response assessment). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03046862 (active).

FINDINGS

Between March 2, 2017, and Feb 13, 2020, 128 patients were enrolled (32 in the chemotherapy followed by chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group, 49 in the chemotherapy plus durvalumab group, and 47 in the chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group). Four patients (two in the chemotherapy followed by chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group and two in the chemotherapy plus durvalumab group) were excluded and 124 were evaluable for tumour response. The median duration of follow-up was 48·2 months (IQR 41·5-49·4) for the chemotherapy followed by chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group, 26·6 months (19·0-27·9) for the chemotherapy plus durvalumab group, and 24·2 months (20·7-31·7) for the chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group. 82 (66%) of 124 patients achieved an objective response (15 [50%] of 30 in the chemotherapy followed by chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group, 34 [72%] of 47 in the chemotherapy plus durvalumab group, and 33 [70%] of 47 in the chemotherapy plus durvalumab and tremelimumab group). The most common grade 3 and 4 adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (67 [53%] of 126), anaemia (50 [40%]), and decreased platelet count (24 [19%]), with no unexpected safety events. No adverse events leading to discontinuation or death occurred.

INTERPRETATION

Gemcitabine and cisplatin plus immunotherapy showed promising efficacy and acceptable safety in patients with biliary tract cancer. Gemcitabine and cisplatin plus durvalumab are being evaluated in the phase 3, TOPAZ-1 study (NCT03875235) as first-line treatment in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.

FUNDING

AstraZeneca; National Research Foundation of Korea (Grant No. 2021R1A2C2007430).

DNA Damage Response Inhibitors in Cholangiocarcinoma: Current Progress and Perspectives

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a poorly treatable type of cancer and its incidence is dramatically increasing. The lack of understanding of the biology of this tumor has slowed down the identification of novel targets and the development of effective treatments. Based on next generation sequencing profiling, alterations in DNA damage response (DDR)-related genes are paving the way for DDR-targeting strategies in CCA. Based on the notion of synthetic lethality, several DDR-inhibitors (DDRi) have been developed with the aim of accumulating enough DNA damage to induce cell death in tumor cells. Observing that DDRi alone could be insufficient for clinical use in CCA patients, the combination of DNA-damaging regimens with targeted approaches has started to be considered, as evidenced by many emerging clinical trials. Hence, novel therapeutic strategies combining DDRi with patient-specific targeted drugs could be the next level for treating cholangiocarcinoma.

Novel approaches in search for biomarkers of cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) arises from the ductular epithelium of the biliary tree, either within the liver (intrahepatic CCA) or more commonly from the extrahepatic bile ducts (extrahepatic CCA). This disease has a poor prognosis and a growing worldwide prevalence. The poor outcomes of CCA are partially explained by the fact that a final diagnosis is challenging, especially the differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic CCA, or distal CCA and pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. Most patients present with an advanced disease, unresectable disease, and there is a lack in non-surgical therapeutic modalities. Not least, there is an acute lack of prognostic biomarkers which further complicates disease management. Therefore, there is a dire need to find alternative diagnostic and follow-up pathways that can lead to an accurate result, either singlehandedly or combined with other methods. In the "-omics" era, this goal can be attained by various means, as it has been successfully demonstrated in other primary tumors. Numerous variants can reach a biomarker status ranging from circulating nucleic acids to proteins, metabolites, extracellular vesicles, and ultimately circulating tumor cells. However, given the relatively heterogeneous data, extracting clinical meaning from the inconsequential noise might become a tall task. The current review aims to navigate the nascent waters of the non-invasive approach to CCA and provide an evidence-based input to aid clinical decisions and provide grounds for future research.

Clinical efficacy of adjuvant treatments for patients with resected biliary tract cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the benefits of adjuvant therapy in patients with resected biliary tract cancer (BTC) and identify the optimal adjuvant treatment scheme.

DESIGN

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Studies comparing different adjuvant therapies in patients with BTC were searched in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and ClinicalTrials.gov databases from inception to December 2021. Additionally, the references were manually searched for the related literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eligible studies were identified, and data were extracted independently by two authors. A random-effects network meta-analysis was performed using R software. The pooled outcomes of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were measured using the combined HRs with 95% CIs.

RESULTS

Nineteen eligible studies reporting three types of adjuvant therapies were included in our network meta-analysis. Adjuvant radiotherapy (ART, HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.93), adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (ACRT; HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.54 to 0.83) and adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT; HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.68 to 0.98) were more effective in prolonging OS than that of observation, with no significant difference between the three adjuvant therapies. Moreover, the improvement in DFS was also found in ACRT and ACT compared with that of observation (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.75; HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.68 to 0.97, respectively). Furthermore, ACRT obtained a slightly better DFS benefit compared with that of ACT (HR 0.73; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.95).

CONCLUSIONS

Our primary results demonstrated that, compared with that of observation, ACRT and ACT after radical resection could provide better OS and DFS benefits in patients with BTC. However, ART only showed improvement in OS, but not in DFS. Due to the lack of head-to-head studies of ACT, ACRT and ART, the above results need to be further verified by prospective randomised controlled trials.

Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Improves the Prognostic Outcomes in Patients With Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma After Curative-Intent Resection

Purpose

The prognosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed at investigating whether additional multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) would guide additional treatment and improve the prognostic outcomes of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients.

Methods and Materials

This retrospective study included 256 patients undergoing dynamic enhanced computed tomography scan only (CT group) and 31 patients undergoing both mpMRI and computed tomography scans (CT+MR group). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize the potential selection bias and confounding effects. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared between the two groups.

Results

More nodules (n = 6), additional biliary dilation (n = 4), and peritumoral parenchymal arterial phase hyperenhancement (n = 18) were found with the additional mpMRI scan, which led to treatment modification. Cox regression analysis revealed the survival advantage of additional mpMRI imaging based on the OS (HR 0.396, 95% CI 0.239–0.657, p < 0.001; PSM HR 0.400, 95% CI 0.218–0.736, p = 0.003) and RFS (HR 0.558, 95% CI 0.352–0.882, p = 0.013; PSM HR 0.508, 95% CI 0.288–0.897, p = 0.020).

Conclusions

Additional mpMRI helps clinicians to select better treatment options, lower the risk of tumor recurrence, and improve the overall survival.

Signal enhancement ratio of CE-MRI: a potential biomarker of survival after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in biliary tract cancers

Background

The association of contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) and the overall survival (OS) of biliary tract cancers (BTC) is ambiguous. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the value of signal enhancement ratio (SER) and its early change in CE-MRI as biomarkers of survival after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) in BTC.

Results

One hundred and two BTC patients treated via HAIC with 3cir-OFF regimen between January 2011 and June 2020 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were 9.8 months [range 1.5–83.3 months, 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.789–11.811] and 14.2 months (range 1.8–83.3 months, 95% CI: 11.106–17.294), respectively. The cutoff value of SER before HAIC (SER0) was 1.04, and both median PFS and OS in the SER0 ≥ 1.04 group were longer than in the SER0 < 1.04 group (median PFS: 10.5 vs. 8.5 months, p = 0.027; median OS: 23.9 vs. 12.3 months, p < 0.001). The median OS in the ΔSER > 0 group was longer than in the ΔSER < 0 group (17.3 versus 12.8 months, p = 0.029 (ΔSER means the change of SER after two cycles of HAIC). Multivariate analysis showed SER0 (p = 0.029) and HAIC treatment cycle (p = 0.002) were independent predictors of longer survival.

Conclusions

SER in CE-MRI before HAIC (SER0) is a potential biomarker for the prediction of survival after HAIC in advanced BTC.

Lenvatinib Beyond First-Line Therapy in Patients With Advanced Biliary Tract Carcinoma

Introduction

Lenvatinib, a multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target vascular endothelial growth factor receptors and fibroblast growth factor receptors, recently demonstrated a treatment effect in various tumors. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib for patients with biliary tract cancers (BTCs) who had received ≥1 line of prior systemic anti-BTC therapy.

Methods

This open-label, single-arm study included adult (≥18 years) patients with histologically confirmed BTC. Efficacy and safety were evaluated based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors RECIST Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) and the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE version 4.0). Changes in tumor biomarkers throughout the treatment period were recorded.

Results

41 patients received lenvatinib treatment. The ORR was 12% (95% CI: 1.7–22.7), with a median PFS of 3.8 months (95% CI: 1.3–6.3) and an OS of 11.4 months (95% CI: 6.6–16.2). Thirty-nine (95.1%) patients experienced ≥1 treatment-related adverse event. Decreasing carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level predicted tumor size reduction in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with a sensitivity of 77.7% and a specificity of 73.9%.

Conclusions

Lenvatinib which was individualized based on the patient’s weight has promising clinical activity against advanced BTC and had an acceptable safety profile. Additionally, serum biomarkers and gene sequencing may hold the potential to guide our treatment.