Dr. Shroff on the Importance of Targeted Therapy in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer

Rachna T. Shroff, MD, associate dean, Clinical and Translational Research, associate professor, Medicine in the Clinical Scholar Track, chief, Section of GI Medical Oncology, director, University of Arizona (UA) Cancer Center, director, UA Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office, UA Health Sciences, discusses the importance of targeted therapy in advanced biliary tract cancer.

It is an exciting time for drug development in biliary tract cancers, as 3 novel targeted therapies have been FDA approved for cholangiocarcinoma within the past 2 years, Shroff explains. With additional therapies in the pipeline, the importance of targeted therapy in this patient population remains arelevant research effort, Shroff adds.

The process of biomarker testing in biliary tract cancers identified actionable targets, which underscores the importance of molecular testing with next-generation sequencing for all patients with newly diagnosed disease, Shroff explains. Moreover, up to 40% of patients could harbor an actionable target that could make them eligible for an approved targeted therapy or a clinical trial, Shroff concludes.