Primary malignant bile duct or gall bladder tumors are rare compared with primary hepatocellular carcinoma or liver metastases. Surgical removal represents the treatment of choice but unfortunately, many of these tumors invade liver tissue or other regional structures rendering them inoperable (7,8).
External beam radiotherapy with chemotherapy may have a beneficial effect following surgical removal, and appears to have tumor suppressive activity against inoperable tumors, though unfortunately, local recurrence is the rule and cure in non-surgical patients is rare (18)
Obstructing Cholangiocarcinoma
Written by Donald B. Fuller, M.D. – Radiation Oncologist