AMPULLARY CANCER

Course overview

AMPULLARY CANCER ARISES FROM AMPULLA OF VATER TERMINAL TO THE CONFLUENCE OF THE DISTAL COMMON BILE DUCT (CBD) AND THE PANCREATIC DUCT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH AMPULLARY CARCINOMA FROM PERIAMPULLARY TUMORS SUCH AS EXTRA-BILIARY OR PANCREATIC TUMORS DUE TO WIDE VARIATION IN CLINICAL OUTCOMES AND THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT. FOR INSTANCE, PANCREATIC CANCERS AND BILIARY TRACT TUMORS SUCH AS CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE PROGNOSIS WITH LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS COMPARED TO AMPULLARY CANCERS, EVEN IN EARLY DISEASE PRESENTATIONS. RECENT STUDIES FURTHER EVALUATED HISTOLOGICAL VARIATION DEPENDING ON THE EPITHELIUM OF ORIGIN. AMPULLARY CARCINOMA IS COMMONLY INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL (ABOUT 47 PERCENT) OR PANCREATO-BILIARY (ABOUT 24 PERCENT) EPITHELIAL SUBTYPES. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE AMPULLARY CANCER DISEASE MANAGEMENT. THE ROLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AMPULLARY CANCER BY AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM WILL BE DISCUSSED.