糖心TV官网

Chemotherapy (chemo) is a treatment that uses drugs that kill cancer cells. These drugs are usually given into a vein (IV) or taken by mouth. They enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this treatment useful for some cancers that have spread to organs beyond the bile duct. Because the drugs reach all areas of the body, this is known as a systemic treatment.

How is chemotherapy used to treat bile duct cancer?

Chemo can be used in different ways, depending on the type and stage of the cancer:

• Before surgery it may be given for cancers that might be able to be completely removed. Chemo might shrink the tumor enough to improve the chance that surgery will be successful. This is called neoadjuvant treatment.
• After surgery chemo may be given to try to lower the risk that the cancer will come back. Sometimes it is given along with radiation therapy. Chemo given after surgery is called adjuvant chemo.
• As part of the main treatment for some advanced cancers that cannot be removed or have spread to other parts of the body. In these cases, chemo is often used along with immunotherapy. It does not cure these cancers, but it might help people live longer.
• As part of palliative therapy, chemo can help shrink tumors or slow their growth for a time. Palliative care can help relieve symptoms from the cancer. For example, it might help shrink tumors that are pressing on nerves and causing pain.

Doctors give chemo in cycles. Each period of treatment is followed by a rest period to give the body time to recover. Chemo cycles vary depending on the drugs used, but they often last about 2 to 4 weeks. Chemo is usually not recommended for people in poor health. Elderly age is not necessarily a barrier to getting chemotherapy. 

Hepatic artery infusion (HAI)

If bile duct cancer is only in the liver, doctors may give chemo into the main artery going into the liver, called the hepatic artery. The hepatic artery supplies blood to most tumors in the liver. So, putting the chemo into this artery sends it right to the tumors. The healthy liver then removes most of the remaining drug before it can reach the rest of the body. This can lessen chemo side effects.

HAI may help some people whose cancer cannot be removed by surgery live longer, but more research is needed. This technique often requires surgery to put a catheter into the hepatic artery. However, many people with bile duct cancer are not well enough to have this surgery.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)

Embolization is a procedure where a substance is put into the blood vessels to help block blood from getting to a tumor. TACE uses tiny beads of chemo to do this. A catheter is used to put the beads into the artery that supplies blood to the tumor. The beads block blood flow and give off the chemo. TACE may be used for tumors that can't be removed.

Drugs used to treat bile duct cancer

The chemotherapy drugs used most often to treat bile duct cancer include:

• Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
• Cisplatin (Platinol)
• Capecitabine (Xeloda)
• Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
• 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
• Irinotecan (Camptosar)
• Floxuridine (FUDR): used specifically for hepatic artery infusion (HAI)

In some cases, 2 or more of these drugs may be combined to try to make them more effective. For example, combining gemcitabine and cisplatin may help people live longer than using gemcitabine alone.

Possible side effects of chemotherapy

Chemo drugs attack cells that are dividing quickly. This is why they work against cancer cells. But other cells in the body also divide quickly, such as those in the bone marrow (where new blood cells are made), the lining of the mouth and intestines, and the hair follicles. These cells can be affected by chemo, which can lead to side effects.

The side effects of chemo depend on the type and dose of drugs given, how they're given, and the length of treatment. Side effects can include:

• Hair loss
• Mouth sores
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Nerve damage (neuropathy) which can lead to numbness, tingling, and even pain in the hands and feet
• Increased chance of infections from having too few white blood cells
• Easy bruising or bleeding from having too few blood platelets
• Fatigue from having too few red blood cells
• Organ dysfunction, which can affect how well the kidney and liver function

Most side effects are short-term and go away after treatment ends.

Ask your cancer care team what side effects you should watch for. And tell them about any side effects you notice, so they can be treated right away. Side effects can often be lessened. Your care team might give you medicines to help prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting. In some cases, they can reduce the doses of the chemo drugs or delay or stop treatment to keep the side effects from worsening.