Current Status and Advances in Radiotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancers

Journal: Journal of Clinical Medicine Research DOI: 10.32629/jcmr.v7i2.5325

Yu Li, Xiaocai Tian

Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital), Changsha 410005, Hunan, China

Abstract

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are insidious and carry extremely poor prognosis, with most patients unresectable at diagnosis. Radiotherapy is an important local treatment, but conventional methods cannot balance target dose and normal tissue protection due to complex anatomy adjacent to radiosensitive organs. In recent years, precise radiotherapy including IMRT, VMAT, IGRT, MRgRT and particle therapy has greatly improved accuracy. BED-based dose escalation, SIB and functional imaging-guided optimization further balance efficacy and safety. This review summarizes precise radiotherapy techniques, dosimetric optimization, clinical applications, current challenges and future directions.

Keywords

biliary tract cancers; precise radiotherapy; dosimetric optimization; clinical application

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