Cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a unique cancer that occurs predominantly in several Asian countries where liver fluke infection still exists. The cancer is lethal as, currently, there is no appropriate and specific laboratory method for early diagnosis, thus making it difficult to achieve a successful outcome. This report includes a literature review of the molecular biology of CCA and the results currently available from our own study. Using CCA cell lines originally established from a patient with intrahepatic bile duct cancer most probably associated with liver fluke infection, we found mutations occurring in the ras oncogenes and the p53 tumour-suppressor gene. With regard to diagnosis, we recently showed that it was possible to detect significant change in the levels of tumour markers at a very early stage of development, at least in a hamster model. In order to find better methods to manage patients, we also evaluated the susceptibility of CCA to a variety of cytokines and anti-cancer agents that have been successfully used for other tumours. We are now screening extracts from a number of Thai medicinal plants for anti-cancer activity against this tumour.