©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Endosc. Jun 25, 2015; 7(7): 675-687
Published online Jun 25, 2015. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v7.i7.675
Published online Jun 25, 2015. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v7.i7.675
Advances in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma
Dushant S Uppal, Andrew Y Wang, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States
Author contributions: Uppal DS and Wang AY contributed equally to this manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, to report with respect to this manuscript.Dr. Wang discloses that he has received research support from Cook Medical on the topic of metal biliary stents.
Correspondence to: Andrew Y Wang, MD, FACG, FASGE, Associate Professor of Medicine, Co-Medical Director of Endoscopy, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Virginia Health System, Box 800708, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States. ayw7d@virginia.edu
Telephone: +1-434-9241653 Fax: +1-434-2447590
Received: September 11, 2014
Peer-review started: September 11, 2014
First decision: December 17, 2014
Revised: January 22, 2015
Accepted: February 9, 2015
Article in press: February 11, 2015
Published online: June 25, 2015
Processing time: 300 Days and 1.5 Hours
Peer-review started: September 11, 2014
First decision: December 17, 2014
Revised: January 22, 2015
Accepted: February 9, 2015
Article in press: February 11, 2015
Published online: June 25, 2015
Processing time: 300 Days and 1.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a valuable treatment modality for patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), as it enables luminal drainage of blocked bile ducts and hepatic segments by using plastic or metal stents. While there remains some debate as to if bilateral hepatic drainage is required and/or superior to unilateral drainage, the underlying tenant of draining any persistently opacified bile ducts is paramount to good ERCP practice. Although ERCP interventions cannot cure CCA, advancements in the field of ERCP, including ERCP-directed photodynamic therapy and radiofrequency ablation, likely confer a survival advantage and improve upon the quality of life of patients with incurable disease.