Biliary drainage for distal bile duct obstruction due to pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Approximately 60% of pancreatic cancers occur in the pancreatic head and may present with obstructive jaundice due to bile duct invasion. Obstructive jaundice often leads to poor general condition and acute cholangitis that can interfere with surgery and chemotherapy and require biliary drainage. The first choice for bile duct drainage in both resectable and unresectable cancers is the endoscopic transpapillary approach. However, in cases when this approach is difficult or impossible, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has reported favorable outcomes. This article describes the current state and recent trends of biliary drainage in the treatment of distal bile duct obstruction due to pancreatic cancer.