Pan-Asian adapted ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with biliary tract cancer

• Published in: ESMO open Vol. 9; no. 8; p. 103647
• Main Authors: Chen, L.-T., Vogel, A., Hsu, C., Chen, M.-H., Fang, W., Pangarsa, E.A., Sharma, A., Ikeda, M., Park, J.O., Tan, C.K., Regala, E., Tai, D., Tanasanvimon, S., Charoentum, C., Chee, C.E., Lui, A., Sow, J., Oh, D.-Y., Ueno, M., Ramaswamy, A., Jeo, W.S., Zhou, J., Curigliano, G., Yoshino, T., Bai, L.-Y., Pentheroudakis, G., Chiang, N.-J., Cervantes, A., Chen, J.-S., Ducreux, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Asia - epidemiology; biliary tract cancer; Biliary Tract Neoplasms - diagnosis; Biliary Tract Neoplasms - epidemiology; Biliary Tract Neoplasms - therapy; ESMO; guidelines; Humans; Medical Oncology - standards; Pan-Asian; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Societies, Medical; Special; treatment; Asia; ESMO; biliary tract cancer; treatment; guidelines; Pan-Asian
• ISSN: 2059-7029; 2059-7029
• DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.103647

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC), published in late 2022 were adapted in December 2023, according to established standard methodology, to produce the Pan-Asian adapted (PAGA) ESMO consensus guidelines for the management of Asian patients with BTC. The adapted guidelines presented in this manuscript represent the consensus opinions reached by a panel of Asian experts in the treatment of patients with BTC representing the oncological societies of China (CSCO), Indonesia (ISHMO), India (ISMPO), Japan (JSMO), Korea (KSMO), Malaysia (MOS), the Philippines (PSMO), Singapore (SSO), Taiwan (TOS) and Thailand (TSCO), co-ordinated by ESMO and the Taiwan Oncology Society (TOS). The voting was based on scientific evidence and was independent of the current treatment practices, drug access restrictions and reimbursement decisions in the different regions of Asia. Drug access and reimbursement in the different regions of Asia are discussed separately in the manuscript. The aim is to provide guidance for the optimisation and harmonisation of the management of patients with BTC across the different countries and regions of Asia, drawing on the evidence provided by both Western and Asian trials, whilst respecting the differences in screening practices and molecular profiling, as well as age and stage at presentation. Attention is drawn to the disparity in the drug approvals and reimbursement strategies, between the different countries. •This article provides ESMO recommendations adapted for the treatment of BTC in Asian patients.•It outlines the epidemiology, diagnosis/staging, management, treatment and follow-up of patients with BTC.•The applicability of the recommendations regarding availability and reimbursement practices are described for each region.•The aim is to encourage evidence-based medicine to improve the access of Asian patients to state-of-the-art cancer care.