2026 Award

Dr. Shishir Maithel
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

Phase II, Open label, Non-randomized, Multi-institutional Study of Optimal Preoperative Therapy for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (OPTIC)

There have been important advances in treating advanced cholangiocarcinoma, including immunotherapy and targeted treatments based on a patient’s tumor genetics. Right now, these options are only used for patients with late-stage cancer that can’t be removed with surgery. This research aims to see if those same approaches can be safely used earlier, before surgery, in patients whose tumors can still be removed.

In this study, doctors will test patients’ tumors at diagnosis and give a combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted treatments before surgery. The goal is to see if this approach is safe and workable, and whether it improves outcomes.

The team will also look for better ways to measure how well the treatment is working. This includes advanced imaging, blood tests that track tumor DNA, and detailed lab studies of tumor samples. By combining these insights, the researchers hope to better personalize treatment and improve results for patients with early-stage cholangiocarcinoma.

Supported by the Mather Family Foundation

2024 Award

Dr. R. Katie Kelley
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Dr. Tim Greten
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Understanding Molecular and Immunological Mechanisms of Acquired Resistance in Cholangiocarcinoma

Dr. Kelley and Dr. Greten are studying how signals from the tumor may interfere with the body’s immune response, making treatments like immunotherapy stop working over time. They will look at patient samples and use lab and animal studies to better understand how this happens, with the goal of finding ways to improve treatment.

Supported by the Bachrach Family Foundation