Resumen
Unresectable biliary tract cancer has a poor prognosis, with insufficient response rates from the standard treatment. We developed a new combination therapy regimen of intra-arterial chemotherapy plus radiation therapy based on a retrospective study, and we found its high effectiveness in cases of some unresectable biliary tract cancers. Then, we conducted this prospective study, which demonstrated the benefits for some patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer, resulting in high clinical response and disease control rates of 71.4% and 100%, respectively. Furthermore, two patients converted to surgery, indicating its high potential as a preoperative therapeutic strategy to achieve a long-term prognosis. This treatment was considered tolerated due to the absence of treatment-related deaths. This prospective pilot study is an important step toward determining the usefulness and safety of intra-arterial chemotherapy plus radiation therapy, as well as its potential future utility.