Author/Editor		Ocvirk, Janja
Title		Rak žolčnika in žolčevodov - kemoterapija
Translated title		Cancers of gallbladder and biliary tree - chemotherapy
Type		članek
Source		In: Jelenc F, editor. Zbornik simpozija Kirurgija žolčnika in žolčevodov; 2003 okt; Ljubljana. Ljubljana: Klinični center, Klinični oddelek za abdominalno kirurgijo,
Publication year		2003
Volume		str. 143-8
Language		slo
Abstract		The carcinomas of the gallbladder and of bile ducts are rather rare cancers, representing a 4 per cent share in the entire group of gastrointestinal tumors. As a group they are a true challenge to diagnosticians and therapists. Surgery alone may possibly have a curative effect; however, the majority of cases have been so far detected in the so advanced stage of the disease that radical resection has been virtually impossible. Important advances made in the field of diagnostics allow earlier detection and more accurate staging of the disease. Due to the rare occurrence of these tumors and extremely low number of patients treated by radical resection, prospective clinical studies of the efficiency of treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy have not been carried out. The patients with the carcinoma of the gallbladder and of bile ducts have been receiving only palliative treatment with combinations of different gyrostatics. Among the most effective are the following: 5-fluorouracil, mitomicyn C and the agents of nitrosourea as well as their combinations. Despite their efficiency, the treatment response has been considerably low and the survival has not been significantly prolonged. The application of radiotherapy in the treatment of the advanced disease is also limited because the patients with this stage of cancer are inoperable due to the systemic disease for which local treatment with radiotherapy is not indicated.
Descriptors		GALLBLADDER NEOPLASMS BILIARY TRACT NEOPLASMS CHEMOTHERAPY, ADJUVANT PALLIATIVE CARE