Discovery medicine
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Biliary tract cancers (BTC), which include cholangiocarcinoma (both intra- and extrahepatic) and gallbladder, represent a heterogeneous group of malignancies with relatively low-incidence and poor prognosis. Therapeutic options for BTC patients at advanced stage are severely limited and palliative chemotherapy remains the maintreatment option. ⋯ Thus, in the near term, the individual molecular alterations of the disease rather than the anatomic location will likely drive the design of clinical trials. In this review, we summarize recent molecular discoveries in BTC with a special emphasis on the most promising therapeutic targets, ultimately providing an update on current and future directions in the management of this disease.