Non-Surgical Options
Hoag provides a full array of innovative non-surgical treatment options,
including:
Chemotherapy
For bile duct cancers that are resectable, chemotherapy may be used after
surgery (often along with radiation therapy) to try to lower the risk
of cancer recurrence. This is known as adjuvant chemo. Chemotherapy may
also be used before surgery for borderline resectable cancers to try to
improve the odds that surgery will be successful. This is called neoadjuvant
treatment. In addition, chemotherapy may be used (with or without radiation
therapy) for more advanced cancers, or in cases of metastatic disease.
Arterial Chemotherapy
Arterial Chemotherapy (also referred to as Hepatic Artery Infusion) is
designed to improve chemotherapy benefits by increasing the amount of
chemotherapy delivered to the site of the tumor. Chemotherapy is dispensed
from a specialized infusion system in which a catheter is placed into
the hepatic artery to directly deliver the chemotherapy to the tumor site.
Hoag-USC surgeons utilize a laparoscopic procedure for placing the catheter
into the hepatic artery. This advanced laparoscopic technique eliminates
the need for a large incision as used with open laparotomy. Furthermore,
the postoperative recovery is much shorter and patients can be treated
soon after the placement of the pump.
Radiation Therapy
For bile duct cancers that are resectable, radiation therapy may be used
after surgery (often along with chemotherapy) to try to lower the risk
of cancer recurrence. Radiation therapy is also used in selected cases
to help control metastases that cannot be surgically removed, or are too
large to be treated effectively with surgery alone.
Hoag radiation oncologists and medical physicists work together with the
Hoag-USC team of bile duct cancer experts to develop an individualized
treatment plan using the latest radiation therapy techniques, including
treatment options such as
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT).