Author | Matthew J. Matasar, MD

July 01, 2002

Dr. Yee and his colleagues have offered a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapy of both gallbladder carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. They correctly note the infrequency of these two neoplasms, with approximately 7,500 cases diagnosed in the United States each year, two-thirds of which are gallbladder cancer. Unfortunately, neither the incidence rate nor prognosis of these neoplasms has changed substantially since biliary tumors were last reviewed in this journal[1]; the median 5-year survival rate has remained at 5%. Some progress has been made, however, in our understanding of the etiology of cancers of the biliary tract, and a body of literature continues to emerge exploring the question of how best to approach screening and prophylaxis in high-risk populations.