Feasibility and safety of long-term photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the palliative treatment of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma

PDT is an important palliative option for patients with unresectable extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CC). However, the results published to date reported on studies with no more than 6 (mostly up to 4) PDT procedures. Furthermore, the clinical experience of PDT in combination with chemotherapy is limited. The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of multiple (4 to 14) settings of PDT, combined with biliary drainage, and (in some cases) with chemotherapy.

Ten patients with unresectable extrahepatic CC were treated with biliary stenting and at least 4 PDT procedures in our department between 10/2005 and 08/2010.

Ten patients (male/female = 5/5), mean age 68.8 years (range, 54 - 81 years) who received at least 4 PDT procedures were analyzed. All patients underwent endoscopic biliary drainage. Nine patients received metallic stents and one patient a plastic stent. In 4 patients (40%) bilateral metal stenting (JoStent SelfX^®) was performed. The mean number of PDT sessions was 7.9 ± 3.9 (range: 4 - 14). Eight patients had elevated bilirubin levels with a mean bilirubin at admission of 9.9 ± 11.3 mg/dL, which had decreased to an average minimum of 1.2 ± 0.9 mg/dL after 3 months. No severe toxicity was noted. Two patients received concomitant chemotherapy (GEMCIS as 1^st line, GEMOX plus cetuximab as 2^nd line). The median overall survival has not been reached, whereas the estimated survival of all patients was 47.6 months, 95% CI 25.9 - 48.1.

Long-term PDT in patients with extrahepatic CC is feasible and effective and is accompanied - at least in this cohort- by a survival time of more than 2 years.