Biliary Stenting With or Without Photodynamic Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced, Recurrent, or Metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma or Other Biliary Tract Tumors That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery (Photostent-02)

This is an interventional treatment trial for Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer focused on measuring unresectable gallbladder cancer, recurrent gallbladder cancer, metastatic gallbladder cancer, cholangiocarcinoma of the gallbladder, unresectable extrahepatic bile duct cancer, recurrent extrahepatic bile duct cancer, metastatic extrahepatic bile duct cancer, cholangiocarcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct Read More

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

• Histopathological/cytological diagnosis of nonresectable locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic biliary tract carcinoma (intra- or extra-hepatic), or gallbladder carcinoma
• Adequate biliary drainage, with no evidence of active uncontrolled infection (patients on antibiotics are eligible)

Exclusion criteria:

• Porphyria
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

• ECOG performance status 0, 1, 2, or 3
• Estimated life expectancy > 3 months
• Women of child-bearing potential should have a negative pregnancy test prior to study entry AND be using an adequate contraception method, which must be continued for 1 month after completion of treatment
• Not pregnant or nursing

Exclusion criteria:

• History of prior malignancy that will interfere with the response evaluation (exceptions include in-situ carcinoma of the cervix treated by cone-biopsy/resection, non-metastatic basal and/or squamous cell carcinomas of the skin, or any early stage (stage l) malignancy adequately resected for cure greater than 5 years previously)
• Any evidence of severe or uncontrolled systemic diseases or laboratory finding that in the view of the investigator makes it undesirable for the patient to participate in the trial
• Any psychiatric or other disorder likely to impact on informed consent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

• Patients may have undergone a non-curative operation (i.e., R2 resection [with macroscopic residual disease] or palliative bypass surgery only) and fully recovered

  • Patients who have previously undergone curative surgery must have evidence of non-resectable disease relapse

• Patients may have received prior radiotherapy within the past 28 days (with or without radio-sensitizing low-dose chemotherapy) for localized disease and fully recovered

  • Must have clear evidence of disease progression prior to inclusion in this study

• Patients may have received prior chemotherapy within the past 28 days and fully recovered

  • Must have clear evidence of disease progression prior to inclusion in this study

Exclusion criteria:

• Previous treatment with curative intent for current disease in the last 12 weeks (i.e., prior resection, radical radiotherapy, or chemotherapy)
• Previous treatment with experimental therapy for current disease in the last 12 weeks
• No cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy (excluding contraceptives and replacement steroids), or experimental medications will be permitted for the first four weeks of the study