Latest advances in cholangiocarcinoma

Biliary tract cancers include cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and gallbladder cancer (GBC). Despite being considered rare tumours, their incidence is increasing, especially due to an increased of intrahepatic (iCCA).1 The majority patients are diagnosed at late stages, mainly challenges the time diagnosis.2 This means that for patients, only treatment option available palliative management; thus, prognosis remains poor with a 5-year survival around 5%-15% when all stages analysed together.1 current special issue includes overview main areas interest in field cholangiocarcinoma.3 Firstly, aiming improve patients’ outcomes, early diagnosis key. In order achieve this, depth knowledge endoscopic diagnostic techniques crucial.4 addition, development new strategies technologies way securing adequate acquisition tissue secure sufficient sample molecular profiling purposes. Endoscopy also key management one most common clinically relevant complications identified on biliary malignancies: malignant obstruction. Malignant obstruction oncological emergencies its release much importance avoid life threatening prevent potentially avoidable clinical deterioration. Secondly, advanced disease currently relies use chemotherapy.1 However, emergence targeted therapies rapidly changing this,5 iCCA which likely harbour targetable alterations such as fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-2 fusions isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-1 mutations, within others. recent studies supporting role these precision medicine cholangiocarcinoma, lots unanswered questions remain will need specific research better understand, not primary secondary resistance treatments, but sequencing combination strategies.6 Thirdly, none advances could have taken place without close collaboration between basic, translational researchers. Such collaborations allow identification biomarkers, predictive tools selection understanding acquired novel therapies. Within many unmet needs can be effort going into getting this sorted aim moving forward.7 summary, evolving requires teamwork multidisciplinary benefit our future patients. articles included provide some topics interest.4, 6, 7 Dr Angela Lamarca received funding from Christie Charity European Union's Horizon 2020 Research Innovation Programme [grant number 825510, ESCALON]. Travel educational support Ipsen, Pfizer, Bayer, AAA, SirtEx, Novartis, Mylan Delcath; speaker honoraria Merck, Incyte, QED Servier; advisory EISAI, Nutricia QED, Roche member Knowledge Network NETConnect Initiatives funded by Ipsen. Data sharing applicable article no data were created or study.