Bile duct cancer

Primary biliary cancer is a rare condition. For this reason, studies in the use of intraluminal brachytherapy have tended to be small, non-randomized trials. Iridium wire or, preferably, a high dose rate iridium source from an afterloading machine, can be introduced into the bile duct via an external biliary drain leading to tumour shrinkage and relief of jaundice. Infection in the form of ascended cholangitis is the major complication of this technique. It is doubtful whether brachytherapy offers any significant advantage over biliary stenting or other forms of biliary decompression in this disease.

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