International panel of Precision-BTC Net/ENS-CCA affiliated experts illuminates the current state of CCA research and marks its future path

The recently published consensus statement, “Cholangiocarcinoma 2026: status quo, unmet needs and priorities,” offers a comprehensive, critical overview of the current landscape of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) research. Importantly, it helps clarify where the field stands today and highlights the most urgent unmet needs and research priorities to accelerate progress in biology-driven diagnosis and more effective therapies.

Collaborative efforts like this, published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, help the community align on shared priorities, deepen our understanding of CCA etiopathogenesis, and translate insights into improved clinical management. Drawing on input from international experts, the statement synthesizes current evidence, outlines consensus recommendations, and maps emerging therapeutic strategies that may shape the next phase of CCA care.

This work was led by Dr. Jesus Banales (International Relationship Coordinator, MC), Dr. Pedro Rodrigues (WG2 Leader) and Prof Chiara Braconi (Vice-chair), and contributors include specialists from our COST Action, which covers the European countries listed (Spain, the UK, Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, and The Netherlands) as well as international partners.

Congratulations to all co-authors for this important collaborative achievement!

Fig. 1: Cholangiocarcinoma anatomical subtypes and their most frequent genetic alterations