Photodynamic therapy for the palliative treatment of cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma is difficult to treat due to the advanced nature of the lesions at the time of diagnosis and the central location within the liver. Current management strategies involve surgical bypass, transhepatic percut aneous biliary stenting, externalized and internalized drainage systems, br achytherapy, and endoscopic stenting techniques. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for palliation of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma has recently been descri bed. This article reviews the techniques and early results of PDT in the tr eatment of cholangiocarcinoma.