Date of Award

2018

Degree Type

Selective Evidence-Based Medicine Review

Degree Name

Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

Department Chair

John Cavenagh, MBA, PhD, PA-C

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not photodynamic therapy improves the survival rate of patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Study Design: Systematic review of two randomized controlled trials and one retrospective cohort study published in 2014, 2014, and 2016.

Data Sources: Two randomized controlled trials and one retrospective cohort study examining photodynamic therapy in patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Data sources were found using PubMed and EBSCOhost.

Outcome(s) Measured: Overall survival and progression free survival were measured in patients who underwent photodynamic therapy for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. Each study analyzed overall survival using a Kaplan-Meier survival curve.

Results: The RCT by Hauge et al. found photodynamic therapy to improve overall survival rate in patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma compared to patients who did not receive photodynamic therapy. The RCT by Park et al. found photodynamic therapy plus oral flouropyrimidine to improve overall survival over photodynamic therapy alone. The retrospective cohort study by Strand et al. was found to show no significant difference in overall survival with patients who underwent ERCP-directed radiofrequency ablation versus ERCP-directed photodynamic therapy.

Conclusions: There is conflicting evidence as to whether photodynamic therapy improves the survival rate of patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. Further

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