Page 9 - ARNM-3-1

Advances in Radiotherapy &

Nuclear Medicine

REVIEW ARTICLE
Different diagnostic methods for biliary tract

cancer: A review

1
1
Zakariya Abdi Yakub , David Aebisher 1 , Paweł Woźnicki ,
2
Justyna Magdalena Łabądź , Angelika Myśliwiec , Klaudia Dynarowicz , and
2
2
Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher *
2
1 Department of Photomedicine and Physical Chemistry, Medical College of The Rzeszów University,
Rzeszów, Subcarpathian, Poland
2 Department of Biochemistry and General Chemistry, Medical College of The Rzeszów University,
Rzeszów, Subcarpathian, Poland

Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a primary malignant tumor originating from the
epithelium of the bile duct mucosa. It is the second most common primary tumor of
the liver and biliary tract. Based on tumor location, CCA is classified as intrahepatic
and extrahepatic. Clinical diagnosis relies on imaging techniques (ultrasonography,
computed tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), while the final
diagnosis is confirmed through histopathological examination of biopsy, brush
swab, or post-operative samples. Imaging plays a critical role in diagnosing, staging,
and guiding the treatment of biliary cancers. Key imaging methods include magnetic
resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRI with MRCP), endoscopic retrograde
cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and positron emission
*Corresponding author: tomography (PET). Selecting the most suitable diagnostic tool is challenging due to
Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher the distinct properties of each method, which are tailored to different diseases and
(dbartusikaebisher@ur.edu.pl)
stages of diagnosis or treatment. For example, MRCP provides superior visualization
Citation: Yakub ZA, of biliary tract narrowing/dilatation compared to direct cholangiography (ERC) and
Aebisher D, Woźnicki P, et al.
Different diagnostic methods for is more effective in assessing tumor extent. Ultrasound is useful for initial evaluation
biliary tract cancer: A review. Adv of bile duct and gallbladder tumors and for identifying bile duct dilatation. CT
Radiother Nucl Med. 2025;3(1):1-16. is effective for detecting focal lesions and staging cancer progression, while MRI
doi: 10.36922/arnm.4557
is considered the gold standard for tumor visualization. EUS offers a detailed
Received: August 16, 2024 assessment of extrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder, hepatic hilar structures, local
Revised: October 28, 2024 lymph nodes, and vessels. Although ERC allows biopsy or smear collection, it does
not assess tumor extent. PET is valuable for detecting distant metastases, monitoring
Accepted: November 18, 2024
treatment efficacy, and evaluating recurrence. This review focuses on the role of
Published online: January 7, 2025 various imaging techniques in the diagnosis, staging, treatment response prediction,
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). and therapy of CCA.
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: Cholangiocarcinoma; Biliary tract cancer; Image-guided therapeutics
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an epithelial-origin neoplasm arising from the
regard to jurisdictional claims in 1,2 3
published maps and institutional mucosa of the bile ducts. Histologically, it is predominantly adenocarcinoma.
affiliations After hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), CCA is the second most common primary

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/arnm.4557