Current Strategies and Issues of Biliary Tract Cancer Prevention

Abstract

 Biliary tract cancer is not a rare cancer in Japan, with more than 20,000 cases diagnosed annually, with the eighth most common in men and the seventh most common in women. With the increase in the prevalence among elderly people, it is sometimes difficult to choose the treatment. There are various issues such as the invasiveness of surgery and the limited choice of anticancer drugs, the responsiveness of treatment, and when to determine palliative care based on prognosis.

 From the viewpoint of preventive medicine, it is urgently necessary to find out this disease as early as possible and to link it to treatment. Among the biliary tract cancers, gallbladder cancer is associated with risk factors such as gallbladder stones and pancreaticobiliary maljunction. Ultrasound plays a major role in medical examinations and is an essential test for the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer. On the other hand, risk factors for bile duct cancer include congenital biliary dilatation, intrahepatic calculi, ulcerative colitis, and a career in the printing industry. The only option is to pick up from ultrasonic abnormalities such as bile duct dilatation.

 When considering biliary tract cancer, you should understand the difference from other cancers and their specificity. Even gastroenterologists who treat the digestive diseases in general, the treatment for biliary tract cancer requires careful judgment, easy-to-understand explanations, and holistic care.

 Biliary tract cancer is mostly not found in the early stage even if undergoing regular medical examinations. I explain the current strategies and issues of biliary tract cancer prevention.