Cholangiocarcinoma, or gallbladder and bile duct cancer, is rare and difficult to treat, with only one in five people who are diagnosed surviving beyond five years.

However, there have been many recent treatment advances with both immune checkpoint and molecularly targeted therapies.

In 2022 the TOPAZ-1 trial demonstrated that the addition of the drug Duralumab to chemotherapy improved survival in untreated patients with advanced biliary tract cancers.

Australian investigators are currently investigating whether combination immunotherapy may result in improved long term outcomes in the currently recruiting MoST-CIRCUIT study.

Identification of genomic targets has also proven beneficial, with promising activity demonstrated with selected treatments in biliary tract cancers bearing FGFR2, IDH1, BRAF and HER2 alterations. Many of these therapies are available through active clinical trials or drug access programs.

These trials and programs are being tracked by the ARC Portal team, who can help clinicians identify those that may be suitable for their patients. The team will review eligibility criteria and determine whether there are local patient recruiting sites, and advise the referring clinician.

For more information, contact the ARC Portal team at enquiries@acrportal.org.au

The Australian Rare Cancer (ARC) Portal is an online referral service that aims to improve outcomes and access to research for Australians diagnosed with a rare cancer. The Portal is co-led by Professor Clare Scott and Professor David Goldstein, and is managed by BioGrid Australia.