Nab-paclitaxel plus capecitabine as first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancers:An open-label,non-randomized,phase II clinical trial

BACKGROUND Biliary tract cancers(BTCs)are a heterogeneous group of tumors with high malignancy,poor prognosis,and limited treatment options.AIM To explore the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel plus capecitabine as first-line treatment for advanced and metastatic BTCs.METHODS This open-label,non-randomized,double-center,phase II clinical trial recruited systemic therapy-naive patients with unresectable or metastatic BTCs between April 2019 and June 2022 at Beijing Cancer Hospital and the First Hospital of China Medical University.Eligible patients were administered nab-paclitaxel(150 mg/m^(2),day 1)and capecitabine(2000 mg/m^(2),twice daily,days 1-7)in 14-day cycles until experiencing intolerable toxicity or disease progression.The primary outcome was the objective response rate(ORR).The secondary outcomes included the disease control rate(DCR),overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS),and safety.RESULTS A total of 44 patients successfully completed the trial,with a median age of 64.00 years(interquartile range,35.00-76.00),and 26(59.09%)were females.Tumor response assessment was impeded for one patient due to premature demise from tumor hemorrhage.Among the remaining 43 patients undergoing at least one imaging assessment,the ORR was 23.26%[95%confidence interval(CI):11.80%-38.60%],and the DCR was 69.77%(95%CI:53.90%-82.80%).The median OS was 14.1 months(95%CI:8.3-19.9),and the median PFS was 4.4 months(95%CI:2.5-6.3).A total of 41 patients(93.18%)experienced at least one adverse event(AE),with 10 patients(22.73%)encountering grade≥3 AEs,and the most frequent AEs of any grade were alopecia(79.50%),leukopenia(54.55%),neutropenia(52.27%),and liver dysfunction(40.91%),and no treatment-related deaths were documented.CONCLUSION Nab-paclitaxel plus capecitabine may be an effective and safe first-line treatment strategy for patients with advanced or metastatic BTCs.

Current and emerging immunotherapeutic approaches for biliary tract cancers

Background:Biliary tract cancers(BTCs)comprise a heterogeneous group of aggressive malignancies with unfavorable prognoses.The benefit of chemotherapy seems to have reached a bottleneck and,therefore,new effective therapeutic strategies for advanced BTCs are needed.Molecularly targeted therapies in selected patients are rapidly changing the situation.However,the low frequency of specific driver alterations in BTCs limits their wide application.Recently,immunotherapeutic approaches are also under active investigation in BTCs,but the role of immunotherapy in BTCs remains controversial.Data sources:Pub Med,Web of Science,and meeting resources were searched for relevant articles published from January 2017 to May 2022.The search aimed to identify current and emerging immunotherapeutic approaches for BTCs.Information on clinical trials was obtained from https://clinicaltrials.gov/and http://www.chictr.org.cn/.Results:Immunotherapy in BTC patients is currently under investigation,and most of the investigations focused on the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs).However,only a subgroup of BTCs with microsatellite-instability high(MSI-H)/DNA mismatch repair-deficient(d MMR)or tumor mutational burden-high(TMB-H)benefit from monotherapy of ICIs,and limited activity was observed in the second or subsequent settings.Nevertheless,promising results come from studies of ICIs in combination with other therapeutic approaches,including chemotherapy,in advanced BTCs,with a moderate toxicity profile.Recent studies demonstrated that compared to GEMCIS alone,durvalumab plus GEMCIS significantly improved patient survival(TOPAZ-1 trial)and that ICIs-combined chemoimmunotherapy is poised to become a new frontline therapy option,regardless of TMB and MMR/MSI status.Adoptive cell therapy and peptide-or dendritic-based cancer vaccines are other immunotherapeutic options that are being studied in BTCs.Numerous biomarkers have been investigated to define their predictive role in response to ICIs,but no predictive biomarker has been validated,except MSI-H/dMMR.Conclusions:The role of immunotherapy in BTCs is currently under investigation and the results of ongoing studies are eagerly anticipated.Several studies have demonstrated the safety and efflcacy of ICIs in combination with chemotherapy in treatment-naive patients,such as the phaseⅢTOPAZ-1 trial,which will change the standard care of first-line chemotherapy for advanced BTCs.However,further research is needed to understand the best combination with immunotherapy and to discover more predictive biomarkers to guide clinical practice.

Potential utility of liquid biopsies in the management of patients with biliary tract cancers:A review

Biliary tract cancer,comprising gallbladder cancer,cholangiocarcinoma and ampullary cancer,represents a more uncommon entity outside high-endemic areas,though global incidence is rising.The majority of patients present at a late stage,and 5-year survival remains poor.Advanced stage disease is incurable,and though palliative chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival,further diagnostic and therapeutic options are required in order to improve patient outcomes.Although certain subtypes of biliary tract cancer are relatively rich in targetable mutations,attaining tumour tissue for histological diagnosis and treatment monitoring is challenging due to locoregional anatomical constraints and patient fitness.Liquid biopsies offer a safe and convenient alternative to invasive procedures and have great potential as diagnostic,predictive and prognostic biomarkers.In this review,the current standard of care for patients with biliary tract cancer,future treatment horizons and the possible utility of liquid biopsies within a variety of contexts will be discussed.Circulating tumour DNA,circulating microRNA and circulating tumour cells are discussed with an overview of their potential applications in management of biliary tract cancer.A summary is also provided of currently recruiting clinical trials incorporating liquid biopsies within biliary tract cancer research.

Immunotherapy in biliary tract cancers:Current evidence and future perspectives

Bile duct tumors are comprised of tumors that originate from both intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts and gallbladder tumors.These are aggressive tumors and chemotherapy is still the main treatment for advanced-stage disease and most of these cases have a poor overall survival.Strategies are aimed at treatments with better outcomes and less toxicity which makes immunotherapy an area of significant importance.Recent Food and Drug Administration approvals of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICI)for agnostic tumors based on biomarkers such as microsatellite instability-high and tumor mutation burden-high are important steps in the treatment of patients with advanced bile duct tumors.Despite limited responses with isolated checkpoint inhibitors in later lines of systemic treatment in advanced disease,drug combination strategies have been demonstrating encouraging results to enhance ICI efficacy.

Advances in immunotherapy for biliary tract cancers

Biliary tract cancers(BTC),a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis,including gallbladder cancer(GBC),intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC),and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ECC).Although surgery is currently the primary regimen to treat BTC,most BTC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and miss the opportunity of surgical eradication.As a result,non-surgical therapy serves as the main intervention for advanced BTC.In recent years,immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising therapies in a number of solid cancers,and it includes immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)monotherapy or combined therapy,tumor vaccines,oncolytic virus immunotherapy,adoptive cell therapy(ACT),and cytokine therapy.However,these therapies have been practiced in limited clinical settings in patients with BTC.In this review,we focus on the discussion of latest advances of immunotherapy in BTC and update the progress of multiple current clinical trials with different immunotherapies.

The evolving landscape of biliary tract cancers:comparing French and US National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines

Biliary tract cancers(BTCs)constitute a heterogeneous group of hepatobiliary malignancies originating along the biliary tree.Approximately up to 20%of primary hepatobiliary tumors consist of BTCs(1).The primary risk factors include cholelithiasis,chronic inflammatory diseases of the bile ducts,non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH),liver cirrhosis,tobacco use,and chronic viral hepatitis B and C infections(2).

Exploring treatment options for biliary tract cancers:moving beyond the era of gemcitabine and platinum doublet

Biliary tract cancers(BTCs)refer to invasive adenocarcinomas arising from the bile duct(intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma)and gallbladder(gallbladder cancer).Patients with BTCs typically present at an advanced stage due to a lack of early detection methods and non-specific symptoms;systemic chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment for these advanced BTCs.Gemcitabine plus cisplatin(GC)has been the standard treatment since the pivotal ABC-02 randomized phase 3 trial conducted in 2010(1).Moving beyond the era of GC,several triplet combination regimens have been proposed in recent years(Table 1).The combination of nab-paclitaxel(nab-P)and GC showed promising survival outcomes in a phase 2 trial(2),although it eventually failed to meet the primary endpoint of overall survival(OS)in a randomized phase 3 trial(3).Around the same time,TOPAZ-1(5)demonstrated that the programmed death ligand 1(PD-L1)inhibitor durvalumab combined with GC significantly improved the median OS[11.5 vs.12.8 months;hazard ratio(HR),0.80;95%confidence interval(CI):0.66–0.97;P=0.021]and median progression-free survival(PFS)(5.7 vs.7.2 months;HR,0.75;95%CI:0.63–0.89;P=0.001),with an objective response rate(ORR)of 26.7%.Moreover,KEYNOTE-966(6)found that the addition of programmed death-1(PD-1)inhibitor pembrolizumab also improved median OS(10.9 vs.12.7 months;HR,0.83;95%CI:0.72–0.95;P=0.0034),whereas the median PFS only showed numerical improvements(5.6 vs.6.5 months;HR,0.86;95%CI:0.75–1.00;P=0.023),with an ORR of 29%.Consequently,the combination of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and GC has become the new standard of care for first-line treatment of patients with BTCs,establishing the new era of triplet combinations.

Clinical and socioeconomic determinants of survival in biliary tract adenocarcinomas

BACKGROUND Despite advances in detection and treatments,biliary tract cancers continue to have poor survival outcomes.Currently,there is limited data investigating the significance of socioeconomic status,race/ethnicity,and environmental factors in biliary tract cancer survival.Data from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results database for biliary and gallbladder adenocarcinomas were extracted from 1975 to 2016.Socioe-conomic data included smoking,poverty level,education,adjusted household income,and percentage of foreign-born persons and urban population.Survival was calculated with Cox proportional hazards models for death in the 5-year period following diagnosis.RESULTS Our study included 15883 gallbladder,11466 intrahepatic biliary,12869 extrahepatic biliary and 7268 ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma cases.When analyzing county-specific demographics,patients from counties with higher incomes were associated with higher survival rates[hazard ratio(HR)=0.97,P<0.05].Similarly,counties with a higher percentage of patients with a college level education and counties with a higher urban population had higher 5-year survival rates(HR=0.96,P=0.002 and HR=0.97,P=0.004,respectively).CONCLUSION Worse survival outcomes were observed in lower income counties while higher income and education level were associated with higher 5-year overall survival among gallbladder and biliary malignancies.

Association between gut microbiota and hepatocellular carcinoma and biliary tract cancer:A mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND An increasing number of studies have begun to discuss the relationship between gut microbiota and diseases,yet there is currently a lack of corresponding articles describing the association between gut microbiota and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and biliary tract cancer(BTC).This study aims to explore the relationship between them using Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis method.AIM To assess the relationship between gut microbiota and HCC and BTC.METHODS We obtained Genome-wide association study(GWAS)data for the gut microbiome from the intestinal microbiota genomic library(MiBioGen,https://mibiogen.gcc.rug.nl/).Additionally,we accessed data pertaining to HCC and BTC from the IEU open GWAS platform(https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk/).Our analysis employed fundamental instrumental variable analysis methods,including inverse-variance weighted,MR and Egger.To ensure the dependability of the results,we subjected the results to tests for multiple biases and heterogeneity.RESULTS During our investigation,we discovered 11 gut microbiota linked to an increased risk to BTC and HCC.The former included the genus Eubacterium hallii group(P=0.017),Candidatus Soleaferrea(P=0.034),Flavonifractor(P=0.021),Lachnospiraceae FCS020(P=0.034),the order Victivallales(P=0.018),and the class Lentisphaeria(P=0.0.18).The latter included the genus Desulfovibrio(P=0.042),Oscillibacter(P=0.023),the family Coriobacteriaceae(P=0.048),the order Coriobacteriales(P=0.048),and the class Coriobacteriia(P=0.048).Furthermore,in BTC,we observed 2 protective gut microbiota namely the genus Dorea(P=0.041)and Lachnospiraceae ND3007 group(P=0.045).All results showed no evidence of multiplicity or heterogeneity.CONCLUSION This study explores a causal link between gut microbiota and HCC and BTC.These insights may enhance the mechanistic knowledge of microbiota-related HCC and BTC pathways,potentially informing therapeutic strategies.

Impact of open hepatectomy on postoperative bile leakage in patients with biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND Bile leakage is a common and serious complication of open hepatectomy for the treatment of biliary tract cancer.AIM To evaluate the incidence,risk factors,and management of bile leakage after open hepatectomy in patients with biliary tract cancer.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 120 patients who underwent open hepatectomy for biliary tract cancer from February 2018 to February 2023.Bile leak was defined as bile drainage from the surgical site or drain or the presence of a biloma on imaging.The incidence,severity,timing,location,and treatment of the bile leaks were recorded.The risk factors for bile leakage were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.RESULTS The incidence of bile leak was 16.7%(20/120),and most cases were grade A(75%,15/20)according to the International Study Group of Liver Surgery classification.The median time of onset was 5 d(range,1-14 d),and the median duration was 7 d(range,2-28 d).The most common location of bile leakage was the cut surface of the liver(70%,14/20),followed by the anastomosis site(25%,5/20)and the cystic duct stump(5%,1/20).Most bile leaks were treated conservatively with drainage,antibiotics,and nutritional support(85%,17/20),whereas some required endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stenting(10%,2/20)or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography with drainage(5%,1/20).Risk factors for bile leakage include male sex,hepatocellular carcinoma,major hepatectomy,blood loss,and blood transfusion.CONCLUSION Bile leakage is a frequent complication of open hepatectomy for biliary tract cancer.However,most cases are mild and can be conservatively managed.Male sex,hepatocellular carcinoma,major hepatectomy,blood loss,and blood transfusion were associated with an increased risk of bile leak.

Transmembrane serine protease 4 expression in the prognosis of radical resection for biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND Recent advancements in biliary tract cancer(BTC)treatment have expanded beyond surgery to include adjuvant therapy,yet the prognosis remains poor.Identifying prognostic biomarkers could enhance the assessment of patients who have undergone radical resection for BTC.AIM To determine transmembrane serine protease 4(TMPRSS4)utility as a prognostic biomarker of radical resection for BTC.METHODS Medical records of patients who underwent radical resection for BTC,excluding intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,were retrospectively reviewed.The associations between TMPRSS4 expression and clinicopathological factors,overall survival,and recurrence-free survival were analyzed.RESULTS Among the 85 patients undergoing radical resection for BTC,46(54%)were TMPRSS4-positive.The TMPRSS4-positive group exhibited significantly higher preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)values and greater lymphatic invasion than the TMPRSS4-negative group(P=0.019 and 0.039,respectively).Postoperative overall survival and recurrence-free survival were significantly worse in the TMPRSS4-positive group(median survival time:25.3 months vs not reached,P<0.001;median survival time:28.7 months vs not reached,P=0.043,respectively).Multivariate overall survival analysis indicated TMPRSS4 positivity,pT3/T4,and resection status R1 were independently associated with poor prognosis(P=0.032,0.035 and 0.030,respectively).TMPRSS4 positivity correlated with preoperative CA19-9 values≥37 U/mL and pathological tumor size≥30 mm(P=0.016 and 0.038,respectively).CONCLUSION TMPRSS4 is a potential prognostic biomarker of radical resection for BTC.

Phase I study of chimeric antigen receptor modified T cells in treating HER2-positive advanced biliary tract cancers and pancreatic cancers

This phase I clinical trial （NCT01935843） is to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and activity of chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cell （CART） immunotherapy tar- geting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 （HER2） in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers （BTCs） and pancreatic cancers （PCs）. Eligible patients with HER2-positive （〉50%） BTCs and PCs were enrolled in the trial. Well cultured CART-HER2 cells were infused following the conditioning treatment composed of nab- paclitaxel （100-200 mg/m2） and cyclophosphamide （15-35 mglkg）. CAR transgene copy number in the peripheral blood was serially measured to monitor the expansion and persistence of CART-HER2 cells in vivo. Eleven enrolled patients received 1 to 2-cycle CART- HER2 cell infusion （median CAR＋ T cell 2.1× 10^6/kg）. The conditioning treatment resulted in mild-to-moderate fatigue, nausea/vomiting, myalgialarthralgia, and lym- phopenia. Except one grade-3 acute febrile syndrome and one abnormal elevation of transaminase （〉9 ULN）, adverse events related to the infusion of CART-HER2 cells were mild-to-moderate. Post-infusion toxicities included one case of reversible severe upper gastroin- testinal hemorrhage which occurred in a patient with gastric antrum invaded by metastasis 11 days after the CART-HER2 cell infusion, and 2 cases of grade 1-2delayed fever, accompanied by the release of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. All patients were evaluable for assessment of clinical response, among which 1 obtained a 4.5-months partial response and 5 achieved stable disease. The median progression free survival was 4.8 months （range, 1.5-8.3 months）. Finally, data from this study demonstrated the safety and feasibility of CART-HER2 immunotherapy, and showed encourag- ing signals of clinical activity.

Paradigm shift of chemotherapy and systemic treatment for biliary tract cancer

Biliary tract cancers(BTC)are frequently identified at late stages and have a poor prognosis due to limited systemic treatment regimens.For more than a decade,the combination of gemcitabine and cis-platin has served as the first-line standard treatment.There are few choices for second-line chemo-therapy.Targeted treatment with fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 inhibitors,neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase inhibitors,and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 inhibitors has had important results.Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICI)such as pembrolizumab are only used in first-line treatment for microsatellite instability high patients.The TOPAZ-1 trial's outcome is encouraging,and there are several trials underway that might soon put targeted treatment and ICI combos into first-line options.Newer targets and agents for existing goals are being studied,which may represent a paradigm shift in BTC management.Due to a scarcity of targetable mutations and the higher toxicity profile of the current medications,the new category of drugs may occupy a significant role in BTC therapies.

Horizons on the Therapy of Biliary Tract Cancers:A State-of-theart Review

Biliary tract cancers(BTCs)comprise a group of heterogeneous poor prognosis cancers with increasing incidence recent years.The combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine is the first-line therapy for advanced BTC.There remains no accepted standard treatment in the second-line setting.Nowadays,more and more novel treatment strategies have entered development,with some encouraging results being seen.Here,we review the current treatment status and clinical characteristics of BTC,the role of immunotherapy in BTC as well as the design of clinical trials for oncology drugs for BTC which aim to focus on the future profiles of clinical care and resolution of BTC.

Inhibition of histone deacetylase for the treatment of biliary tract cancer:A new effective pharmacological approach

AIM： To investigate in vitro and in vivo therapeutic effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors NVP-LAQ824 and NVP-LBH589 on biliary tract cancer. METHODS： Cell growth inhibition by NVP-LAQ824 and NVP-LBH589 was studied in vitro in 7 human biliary tract cancer cell lines by MTT assay. In addition, the antitumoral effect of NVP-LBH589 was studied in a chimeric mouse model. Anti-tumoral drug mechanism was assessed by immunoblotting for acH4 and p21^WAFl/CIP-1, PARP assay, cell cycle analysis, TUNEL assay, and immunhistochemistry for MIB-1. RESULTS： In vitro treatment with both compounds significantly suppressed the growth of all cancer cell lines [mean IC50 （3 d） 0.11 and 0.05 μmol/L, respectively], and was associated with hyperacetylation of nucleosomal histone H4, increased expression of p21^WAF-1/CIP-1, induction of apoptosis （PARP cleavage）, and cell cycle arrest at G2/M checkpoint. After 28 d, NVP- LBH589 significantly reduced tumor mass by 66% （bile duct cancer） and 87% （gallbladder cancer） in vivo in comparison to placebo, and potentiated the efficacy of gemcitabine. Further analysis of the tumor specimens revealed increased apoptosis by TUNEL assay and reduced cell proliferation （MIB-1）. CONCLUSION： Our findings suggest that NVP-LBH589 and NVP-LAQ824 are active against human biliary tract cancer in vitro. In addition, NVP-LBH589 demonstrated significant in vivo activity and potentiated the efficacy of gemcitabine. Therefore, further clinical evaluation of this new drug for the treatment of biliary tract cancer is recommended.

Effect of histone deacetylase inhibitor on proliferation of biliary tract cancer cell lines

AIM: To explore the effect of histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA) on the growth of biliary tract cancer cell lines (gallbladder carcinoma cell line and cholangiocarcinoma cell line) in vivo and in vitro, and to investigate the perspective of histone deacetylase inhibitor in its clinical application. METHODS: The survival rates of gallbladder carcinoma cell line (Mz-ChA-l cell line) and cholangiocarcinoma cell lines (QBC939, KMBC and OZ cell lines) treated with various doses of TSA were detected by methylthiazoy tetrazolium (MTT) assay. A nude mouse model of transplanted gallbladder carcinoma (Mz-ChA-l cell line) was successfully established, and changes in the growth of transplanted tumor after treated with TSA were measured. RESULTS: TSA could inhibit the proliferation of gallbladder carcinoma cell line (Mz-ChA-l cell line) and cholangiocarcinoma cell lines (QBC939, KMBC and OZ cell lines) in a dose-dependent manner. After the nude mouse model of transplanted gallbladder carcinoma (Mz- ChA-l cell line) was successfully established, the growth of cancer was inhibited in the model after treated with TSA. CONCLUSION: TSA can inhibit the growth of cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo.

Efficacy and safety of gemcitabine-based chemotherapies in biliary tract cancer:A meta-analysis

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine (Gem)-based combination chemotherapies for the treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer.

Targeted medical therapy of biliary tract cancer:Recent advances and future perspectives

The limited efficacy of cytotoxic therapy for advanced biliary tract and gallbladder cancers emphasizes the need for novel and more effective medical treatment options. A better understanding of the specific biological features of these neoplasms led to the development of new targeted therapies, which take the abundant expression of several growth factors and cognate tyrosine kinase receptors into account. This review will briefly summarize the status and future perspectives of antiangiogenic and growth factor receptor-based pharmacological approaches for the treatment of biliary tract and gallbladder cancers. In view of multiple novel targeted approaches, the rationale for innovative therapies, such as combinations of growth factor (receptor)-targeting agents with cytotoxic drugs or with other novel anticancer drugs will be highlighted.

Inhibitor of differentiation proteins do not influence prognosis of biliary tract cancer

AIM:To investigate the expression and clinical relevance of inhibitor of differentiation(ID)proteins in biliary tract cancer.METHODS:ID protein expression was analyzed in129 samples from patients with advanced biliary tract cancer(BTC)(45 extrahepatic,50 intrahepatic,and 34 gallbladder cancers),compared to normal controls and correlated with clinical an pathological parameters.RESULTS:ID1-3 proteins are frequently overexpressed in all BTC subtypes analyzed.No correlation between increased ID protein expression and tumor grading,tumor subtype or treatment response was detected.Survival was influenced primary tumor localization(extrahepatic vs intrahepatic and gall bladder cancer,OS 1.5 years vs 0.9 years vs 0.7 years,P=0.002),by stage at diagnosis(OS 2.7 years in stageⅠv s 0.6 years in stageⅣ,P<0.001),resection status and response to systemic chemotherapy.In a multivariate model,ID protein expression did not correlate with clinical prognosis.Nevertheless,there was a trend of shorter OS in patients with loss of cytoplasmic ID4 protein expression(P=0.076).CONCLUSION:ID protein expression is frequently deregulated in BTC but does not influence clinical prognosis.Their usefulness as prognostic biomarkers in BTC is very limited.

CD98 is a promising prognostic biomarker in biliary tract cancer

ABSTRACT： CD98 has been described to play a crucial role in tumor progression and survival. However, the role of CD98 in biliary tract cancer remains unclear. We found that 36.7% of all patients with biliary tract cancer had a high CD98 expression. Statistical analysis using Spearman＇s rank correlation showed that CD98 was significantly correlated with L-type amino acid transporter 1 （LAT1, r=0.562, P〈0.001）, Ki-67 （r=0.230, P=0.006） and CD34 （r=0.290, P=0.005）. Multivariate analysis confirmed that a high CD98 expression was an independent prognostic factor for predicting poor outcome. CD98 is closely associated with tumor growth, biological aggressiveness, and survival of patients. With these data we proposed that CD98 expression is necessary for the development and pathogenesis of biliary tract cancer.