TY - JOUR
T1 - New systemic treatment paradigms in advanced biliary tract cancer and variations in patient access across Europe: A clinician’s perspective
AU - Rimassa, Lorenza
AU - Lamarca, Angela
AU - M. O'Kane, Grainne
AU - Edeline, Julien
AU - McNamara, Mairead G.
AU - Vogel, Arndt
AU - Fassan, Matteo
AU - Forner, Alejandro
AU - Kendall, Timothy J.
AU - Adeva, Jorge
AU - Casadei-Gardini, Andrea
AU - Fornaro, Lorenzo
AU - Hollebecque, Antoine
AU - Lowery, Maeve A.
AU - Macarulla, Teresa
AU - Malka, David
AU - Mariamidze, Elene
AU - Niger, Monica
AU - Ustav, Anu
AU - Bridgewater, John
AU - Macias, Rocio IR
AU - Braconi, Chiara
N1 - © 2024 The Author(s).
PY - 2025/2/19
Y1 - 2025/2/19
N2 - In recent years, treatment options for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) have increased significantly due to the positive results from phase 2/3 clinical trials of immune check point inhibitors, combined with chemotherapy, and molecularly targeted agents. These advances have led to the need for molecular testing to identify actionable alterations and patients amenable to targeted therapies. However, these improvements have brought with them many questions and challenges, including the identification of resistance mechanisms and therapeutic sequences. Another important issue is the significant disparities in access to innovative treatments and molecular testing across European countries, leading to inequalities in the possibilities of treating patients with advanced BTC. This may be related to differences in the healthcare systems and reimbursement within Europe. Ongoing European collaborative projects, such as the COST Action Precision-BTC-Network CA22125, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), linked to the European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma (ENSCCA), can help overcome these disparities and improve the current scenario.
AB - In recent years, treatment options for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) have increased significantly due to the positive results from phase 2/3 clinical trials of immune check point inhibitors, combined with chemotherapy, and molecularly targeted agents. These advances have led to the need for molecular testing to identify actionable alterations and patients amenable to targeted therapies. However, these improvements have brought with them many questions and challenges, including the identification of resistance mechanisms and therapeutic sequences. Another important issue is the significant disparities in access to innovative treatments and molecular testing across European countries, leading to inequalities in the possibilities of treating patients with advanced BTC. This may be related to differences in the healthcare systems and reimbursement within Europe. Ongoing European collaborative projects, such as the COST Action Precision-BTC-Network CA22125, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), linked to the European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma (ENSCCA), can help overcome these disparities and improve the current scenario.
KW - Biliary tract cancer
KW - Immunotherapy
KW - NGS
KW - Access to therapy
KW - Access to NGS
KW - Cholangiocarcinoma
KW - Gallbladder cancer
KW - Molecularly targeted therapy
U2 - 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101170
DO - 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101170
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38476748
SN - 2666-7762
VL - 50
JO - The Lancet Regional Health Europe
JF - The Lancet Regional Health Europe
M1 - 101170
ER -
