Biochemical Indicators of Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the most frequent epithelial liver tumors and a significant problem with regard to clinical management. The causes of CCA are heterogeneous and associated with the geographic factors, with particularly high incidence in East Asian countries. Patients with CCA often suffer from adverse clinical outcomes and a poor prognosis, much of which is due to the lack of efficient diagnostic tools and biomarkers. Moreover, genome-wide screening of gene alterations and omics analyses demonstrate the highly diverse nature of oncogenic genetic factors among individual CCA tumor cells. Here, we summarize the current approaches to identifying CCA tumor biomarkers and other biochemical indicators for diagnosis and selection of appropriate treatment as a step toward precision medicine with personalized patient care and a goal of improved clinical outcomes.