Which risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma
High-Yield Explanation
Refer Robbins page no Pg 880 Pathogenesis. The most impoant risk factor for gallbladder cancer (besides gender and ethnicity) is gallstones which are present in 95% of cases. However, it should be noted that only 1-2% of patients with gallstones develop gallbladder cancer. In Asia, chronic bacterial or parasitic infections have been implicated as risk factors, and the coexistence of gallstones with gallbladder cancer is much lower. Nonetheless, the common thread that ties gallstones or chronic infections together with gallbladder cancer is chronic inflammation. Gallbladder cancers harbor recur- rent molecular alterations that might be "actionable" targets of therapy.