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Symptomatic Management and Palliation

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Book cover Biliary Tract and Gallbladder Cancer

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Radiat Oncol))

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Abstract

For most patients with biliary cancer effective treatment options are limited, side effects are common, and the long-term prognosis is grim. A majority of biliary cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer. Many have comorbidities that preclude major hepatic surgery, and it is estimated that up to 25 % of patients who are considered surgical candidates after a thorough preoperative work-up are unable to undergo a complete surgical resection. Of those who do undergo curative resection, 5-year survival is less than 50%. Patients with metastatic disease have limited chemotherapy options and on average survive only 3–6 months. Given the poor prognoses of biliary tract and gallbladder cancers, it is important that caregivers are educated on symptom management and palliation for this patient population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Surgical Oncology and Palliative Medicine, UMass Memorial Medical Center, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, USA

    Laura Lambert

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Correspondence to Laura Lambert .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Joseph M. Herman

  2. Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Timothy M. Pawlik

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Charles R. Thomas, Jr.

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Lambert, L. (2014). Symptomatic Management and Palliation. In: Herman, J., Pawlik, T., Thomas, Jr., C. (eds) Biliary Tract and Gallbladder Cancer. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40558-7_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40558-7_22

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