Cholangiocarcinoma – three different diseases

Duke….the recorded webinar is accessible with this link:
http://cholangiocarcinoma.org/webinar-update-on-cholangiocarcinoma-what-we-have-learned-from-the-international-hepatobiliary-neoplasia-biorepository/
It is recorded and available for viewing at any time.
The restaging (classification) is important in that clinical trials not only strategize the individual groups, but hopefully accrue large volume s of patients for further studies specific to their disease group. This, in combination with each patient’s particular molecular behavior will allow for a clearer picture and targeted treatments. How quickly will this come about? That I don’t know however; research for this cancer has increased dramatically over the last few years and in the near future, I expect it to accelerate accordingly. The greater the understanding of this disease, the closer we come to early detection for CCA.
Slide 32 – rate of survival for perihilar CCA – not sure what data has been used for the analyses. But we must remember that it is retrospective, based on previous cases encompassing previous treatment options re-classified in three different disease presentations.
Once universally accepted, the new classification will lead to further, current analyses.
Hugs,
Marion

Rob….I believe it to be best to focus on you, an individual with this disease, your own path, your own disease presentation and your personal response to treatments. Statistics are necessary in order to achieve generalized results, but it is focused on a target population not necessarily representing you. It is for that reason that I shy away from paying too much attention to the outcome of a statistical analysis.

Nine years ago when first I became involved in the NCI research advocacy for clinical trials for HCC and CCA, the overall consensus within the medical community was that CCA is comprised of different diseases. It was suspected but was not backed up by medical findings. This has changed in that we now have evidence that on a molecular level although similar, CCA behaves very differently in these three subgroups: Intrahepatic, Distal, and Hilar (Klatskin.) The re-classification of this cancer is of extreme importance for research, as it carries over to treatment for the patient population.
Hugs,
Marion