Multimodal molecular imaging evaluation for early diagnosis and prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive and lethal malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Despite recent advances in diagnostic imaging for CCA, the early diagnosis of CCA and evaluation of tumor invasion into the bile duct and its surrounding tissues remain challenging. Most patients with CCA are diagnosed at an advanced stage, at which treatment options are limited. Molecular imaging is a promising diagnostic method for noninvasive imaging of biological events at the cellular and molecular level in vivo. Molecular imaging plays a key role in the early diagnosis, staging, and treatment-related evaluation and management of cancer. This review will describe different methods for molecular imaging of CCA, including nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging, and multimodal imaging. The main challenges and future directions in this field are also discussed.

A review of current evidence about lncRNA MEG3: A tumor suppressor in multiple cancers

“…CCA is a highly invasive and heterogeneous primary malignant tumor originating from the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells. Most CCA are detected at a late stage when treatment is no longer effective ( Liu et al, 2022 ). Therefore, an understanding of CCA’s molecular mechanisms and a search for new biomarkers could have a tremendous impact on CCA treatment.…”

Multimodality imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

“…As management of these subtypes differs, assessing tumor infiltration into the bile duct and surrounding tissues is essential but is often challenging. [7][8][9][10] e-CCA comprises perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA or Klatskin tumor), the most common form, and distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA), which occurs in 50% and 30%-40% of cases, respectively. 11 Globally, the prevalence of ICC has increased substantially by 109% over the last 10 years, from 0.67 per 100 000 in 2007 to 1.40 per 100 000 in 2016.…”

Current Status of 68Ga-Pentixafor in Solid Tumours

“…Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the second most common malignancy of the liver after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is aggressive and fatal with a median survival of less than 24 months [ 103 ]. While surgery is the most effective treatment for resectable CCA [ 104 ], unfortunately the clinical symptoms of CCA are non-specific and early diagnosis is often difficult.…”