Research progress in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-mediated photodynamic therapy for cholangiocarcinoma

Th e malignant degree of cholangiocarcinoma is high, and the early diagnosis is diffi cult. Th e vast majority of patients are unresectable when they are diagnosed. Th e patients have low quality of life and short survival cycle. Traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy have poor effi cacy and lead to side effects, and thus lack effective control measures for cholangiocarcinoma. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an important method for diagnosing and treating biliary tract diseases. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new local treatment for cholangiocarcinoma. In recent years, ERCP-mediated PDT treatment of cholangiocarcinoma has gradually emerged. ERCPmediated PDT can effectively relieve the symptoms of patients with cholangiocarcinoma, improve the patients' quality of life, prolong the survival cycle, and is expected to become a new treatment for cholangiocarcinoma.