Pancreatoduodenectomy for bile duct and ampullary cancer

Pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy has become a standard operation for distal and middle bile duct cancers. Bile duct cancer typically extends longitudinally and invades vertically. It frequently metastasizes to the lymph nodes and infiltrates the perineural spaces. The presence of residual cancer in the bile duct stump and lymph node metastases are significant prognostic factors. Negative surgical margins and D2 lymph node dissection are necessary for curative resection. The clinical course after portal vein resection for bile duct cancer with portal vein invasion is better than that of non-resectable bile duct cancer. Portal vein resection can therefore be useful. The efficacy of prophylactic portal vein resection is unclear. We describe here our methods for performing pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy for bile duct cancer.     

Aggressive preoperative management and extended surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: Nagoya experience

From 1977 to 1997, surgical resection was possible in 142 (80%) of 177 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma after relieving jaundice by single or multiple percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage followed by percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy and/or percutaneous trans‐hepatic portal vein embolization. Curative resection was possible in 108 (61%) of the 142 patients, and 100 of these patients underwent various types of hepatectomy with caudate lobectomy for a 30‐day operative mortality rate of 6% and 9% hospital mortality. Combined portal vein resection was carried out in 43 cases including 41 hepatectomies and 2 bile duct resections. Hepatopancreatoduodenectomy was performed in 16 patients. Cancer recurrence was observed in 58 of the 108 patients undergoing curative resection. The 3‐, 5‐, and 10‐year survival rates for 100 patients undergoing curative hepatectomy and 8 with curative bile duct resection were 43%, 26%, and 19%; and 31%, 16%, and 0%, respectively; those for 40 patients with positive lymph node metastasis, 84 with perineural invasion, and 43 with combined portal vein resection were 27%, 14%, and 7%; 34%, 21%, and 13%; and 18%, 6%, and 0%, respectively. These survival rates are significantly better than those for 35 patients with unresectable cancer. Curative resection after aggressive preoperative management is recommended as a reasonable surgical approach to hilar cholangiocarcinoma.     

Pathological characteristics of early to advanced gallbladder carcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Biliary tract cancer (cancer of gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct) is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract, and is considered to be a high‐grade malignancy. In this study, we reviewed 293 gallbladder cancers and 102 bile duct cancers for clarifying growth and invasion of the extrahepatic bile duct cancer. Only 10.5% (9/86) of the early gallbladder cancers showed lymphatic invasion, but neither venous invasion nor lymph node metastasis was noted in the early cancers. 70.6% (207/293) of the gallbladder cases were pT2‐3 cancers, and frequently showed lymphatic/venous/perineural invasion and/or lymph node metastasis. 12.7% (13/102) of the extrahepatic bile duct cancers were pTis or pT1 cancers, which were categorized as early cancers. Only 15.4% (2/13) of the early cancer showed vascular/perineural invasion and/or lymph node metastasis. The majority (87.3%) of the extrahepatic bile duct cases was pT2‐3 cancers, and frequently showed vascular/perineural invasion and/or lymph node metastasis. We also examined intramural invasion patterns; i.e. intramural invasion patterns were defined as infiltrative growth (IG) type, and destructive growth (DG) type. The overall survival rate of the gallbladder cancer patients with the DG type was significantly lower than that of the patients with the IG type, associated with frequent lymphatic/venous invasion and/or lymph node metastasis. Therefore, pathological characteristics are important for clinical manifestation of the gallbladder/extrahepatic bile duct cancers.     

Results of surgical treatments and prognostic factors for hepatic hilar bile duct cancer

Results of surgical treatments for 57 patients who underwent resection for hepatic hilar bile duct cancer between 1984 and 1997 were studied. Bile duct resection was performed in eight patients, and combined resection of bile duct and liver was performed in 49 patients, of whom vascular reconstruction was added in 15 patients and pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) in six patients. All the operations of bile duct resection that were not combined with hepatectomy were non-curative. In the patients who underwent combined resection of the bile duct with liver, outcomes of the patients with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma were better than those with other lower-grade tumors. The factors related to the degree of tumor extension, such as serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic vessel invasion, perineural invasion, venous vessel invasion, and vascular involvement, were other factors which significantly influenced the survival. Curative resection yielded significantly better results than non-curative resection. Of all these variables, good tumor differentiation and vascular involvement were recognized as important prognostic factors by multivariate analysis. Most of the postoperative deaths were encountered in patients who underwent additional operations to hepatectomy, such as vascular reconstruction or PD. Improvement of surgical techniques and perioperative care has yielded better outcomes of vascular reconstruction. However, the application of hepatopancreatoduodenectomy should be limited due to poor outcomes of widespread bile duct cancer of which the histological grade is usually low. Whereas prognosis of bile duct cancer involving the hepatic hilus is mainly determined by the biologic characteristics of the tumor, surgeons should consider the fact that most patients die of local recurrence regardless of the biologic character of the tumor when curative resection is not performed.     

Metachronous double cancer of the gallbladder and common bile duct

We report a rare case of metachronous double cancer of the biliary tract. At age 59 years, a man had undergone a cholecystectomy and resection of the liver bed for gallbladder cancer pathologically diagnosed as papillary adenocarcinoma, in 1997. Four years later, he was admitted to our hospital with jaundice. At first, we suspected lymph node metastasis of the gallbladder cancer along the common bile duct. But abdominal computed tomography demonstrated circular wall thickness of the common bile duct, so primary bile duct cancer was strongly suspected. Thus, extended right hepatectomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy were performed after right portal vein embolization. The pathological diagnosis of the resected specimen was well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma, and this case was clarified to be metachronous double cancer. A review of the literature regarding double cancer of the biliary tract is presented following this case report. We showed that half of 30 cases of double cancer of the biliary tract were not associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction, including all 6 metachronous cases.     

Metastasis of primary gallbladder carcinoma in lymph node and liver

AIM: To evaluate the patterns with metastasis of gallbladder carcinoma in lymph nodes and liver. METHODS: A total of 45 patients who had radical surgery were selected. The patterns with metastasis of primary gallbladder carcinoma in lymph nodes and liver were examined histopathologically and classified as TNM staging of the American Joint Committee on Cancer. RESULTS: Of the 45 patients, 29 (64.4%) had a lymph node positive disease and 20 (44.4%) had a direct invasion of the liver. The frequency of involvement of lymph nodes was strongly influenced by the depth of the primary tumor (P= 0.0001). The postoperative survival rate of patients with negative lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that of patients with positive lymph node metastasis (P= 0.004), but the postoperative survival rate of patients with Nl lymph node metastasis was not significantly different from that of patients with N2 lymph node metastasis (P= 0.3874). The postoperative survival rate of patients without hepatic invasion was significantly better than that of patients with hepatic invasion (P= 0.0177). CONCLUSION: Complete resection of the regional lymph nodes is important in advanced primary gallbladder carcinoma (PGC). The initial sites of liver spread are located mostly in segments IV and V. It is necessary to achieve negative surgical margins 2 cm from the tumor. In patients with hepatic hilum invasion, extended right hepatectomy with or without bile duct resection or portal vein resection is necessary for curative resection.     

超声内镜对壶腹癌及肝外胆管癌术前分期诊断

超声内镜对手术前Ｖａｔｅｒ＇ｓ壶腹癌及肝外胆管癌的原发病变范围、浸润深度、是否有区域淋巴结转移及远隔转移作出诊断及分期，将有助于选择最佳治疗方案及判断预后。对２８例Ｖａｔｅｒ＇ｓ壶腹癌及１８例肝外胆管癌于手术前进行了超声内镜检查，并按照国际ＴＮＭ分期方案进行了手术前分期。其中２２例Ｖａｔｅｒ＇ｓ壶腹癌及１８例肝外胆管癌进行了根治性切除及详细的病理组织学检查，有可能将超声内镜与病理诊断结果进行对照以检验超声内镜诊断的准确性。超声内镜判断Ｖａｔｅｒ＇ｓ壶腹癌及肝外胆管癌病变范围及浸润深度的准确性分别为８１．８％及７２．２％；判断其区域淋巴结转移的准确性分别为５９％及６１．６％。Ｖａｔｅｒ＇ｓ壶腹癌伴门静脉受侵的３例中有２例于术前超声内镜检查中获得了正确诊断，但３例肝转移均未能发现。     

Factors influencing recurrence after surgical treatment for T2 gallbladder carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The overall outcome of T2 gallbladder carcinoma has not been favorable, although there is a modest hope for long-term survival after radical resection. The aim of this study was to examine factors influencing postoperative disease-free survival of patients with T2 gallbladder carcinoma to clarify optimal treatment. METHODOLOGY: Of 53 patients with gallbladder carcinoma who had undergone surgical resection from 1985 to 2000, 22 had T2 carcinoma histologically proved. The significance of variables for disease-free survival was examined retrospectively by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. RESULTS: There were 16 patients with stage II (T2N0M0), 6 with stage III (T2N1M0) disease. Eleven patients were treated by extended cholecystectomy with resection of the extrahepatic bile duct, 10 patients underwent extended cholecystectomy without resection of the extrahepatic bile duct, and 1 patient underwent cholecystectomy. All patients underwent lymph node dissection in the hepatoduodenal ligament, below the pancreatic head, and along the common hepatic artery. Lymph node metastasis was present in 6 patients. Lymphatic, venous, and perineural invasions were found in 9, 4, and 4 patients, respectively. The absence of lymphatic invasion was a significant factor related to good postoperative disease-free survival (5-year disease-free survival rate, 88.9% vs. 31.3% in the presence of lymphatic invasion). Lymph node, venous, or perineural invasion, and surgical procedure were not significant factors to good postoperative disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with T2 gallbladder carcinoma, the presence of lymphatic invasion is an unfavorable prognostic indicator that calls for additional treatment after radical surgery.     

Long-term survival of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with hilar lymph node metastasis and portal vein involvement

We report the case of a very rare 6-year disease-free survivor of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with hilar lymph node metastasis and portal vein involvement. A 76-year-old female with liver dysfunction was referred to our institution. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a 5-cm low-density tumor with irregular marginal enhancement in the left and caudate lobes of the liver. Cholangiography revealed complete obstruction of the left hepatic bile duct. Angiography showed obstruction of the left branch of the portal vein. Metastasis to the hilar lymph nodes was disclosed at surgery. The patient underwent left hepatectomy with caudate lobectomy, resection of the extrahepatic bile duct, and lymphadenectomy. The total vascular exclusion of the liver was used for hepatectomy and reconstruction of the portal vein. Microscopically, the tumor was a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with many infiltrating lymphocytes, and extensive necrosis was present within the tumor. The experience gained in the present case suggests that aggressive surgery may be a potential approach to provide a hope of long-term survival for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma despite the presence of regional lymph node metastasis and vascular invasion.     

Extreme discrepancy between macroscopic diagnosis and pathological findings of gallbladder cancer treated by hepatopancreatoduodenectomy

Diagnosis of gallbladder cancer in terms of invasion depth and spread is an important factor in determining cumulative survival after surgical treatment. However, diagnostic methods available at present occasionally fail to judge staging correctly. We report a case of gallbladder cancer which showed extreme discrepancy between the preoperative macroscopic and imaging diagnosis (positive direct invasion to the liver and invasion to the bile duct and duodenum through the serosal layer; S3, Hinf3, Binf2, and stage IV by the Japanese Society of Biliary Surgery classification) and the pathological findings (limited in vasion within the subserosal layer; ss, hinf0, binf0, and stage II). This discrepancy allowed us to perform curative treatment by hepatopancreatoduodenectomy, including extended right lobectomy of the liver, external bile duct resection, resection of the mesocolon, and lymph node dissection. Surgeons should aim for curability of advanced gallbladder cancer by radical resection until accurate methods for the preoperative diagnosis of cancer spread are available, because the clinical picture may be modified by inflammatory changes.     

Multivariate statistical analysis of clinicopathologic factors influencing survival of patients with bile duct carcinoma

AIM：To evaluate the influence of various clinicopathologic factors on survival of patients with bile duct carcinoma after cuative resection.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was made for 86cases of bile duct carcinoma treated from January 1981to September1995,Fifteen clinicopathologic factors possibly influencing survival were selected.Independent variables were first analyzed by univariate methods.Survival for variable was estimated by the method of Kaplan and Meier.The variables that were statistically significant by univariate analysis were included in a multivariate analysis,which were confirmed using the Cox stepwise proportion hazard model with the help of SPSS10.0for Windows software.RESULTS:The overall cumulative survival rate was72.6%at 1year,32.4%at3years,and18.7%at5years,The results of univariate analysis showed that the major significant prognostic factors influencing survival of these patients were histological type of lesion.lymap node metastasis,pancreatic invasion.duodenal invasion,perineural invasion,macroscopic vessel involvement,resected surgical margin and depth of cancer invasion(P=0.02,0.02,0.004,0.005,0.01,0.43,0.03and0.04).Age,sex,location of tumor,size of tumor,macroscopic type of lesions,hepatic metastasis,and hepatic invasion were n ot significantly associated with prognosis(P>0.05).Pancreatic invasion.perineural invasion and lymph node metastases were the three most imprtant prognostic factors by multivariate analysis using the Cox proortional hazards model.CONCLUSION;Pancreatic invasion.perineural invasion and lymph node metastases are the most important prognostic factors for bile duct carcinoma after curative resection.     

Modes of spread in early ampullary cancer in terms of establishing proper indications for endoscopic papillectomy

Background: Endoscopic papillectomy for adenomas of the ampulla of Vater has been reported and is gaining acceptance as an alternative to surgery in the treatment of early ampullary cancer. However, whether endoscopic treatment is justified as a treatment of choice for early ampullary cancer remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the possibility of endoscopic papillectomy as a treatment of early ampullary cancer from the review of pathology of cases treated by surgical resection. Patients and methods: Twenty‐three cases of early ampullary cancer (m—tumor limited to the mucosa of the ampulla 14; od—tumor that invades Oddi's sphincter, 9) treated by surgical resection from January 1984 to March 2003 were investigated as to the following: (i) macroscopic type, maximum size, and histological type of tumor; (ii) main location and extension of tumor; (iii) prevalence of extension into the lower bile duct or pancreatic duct, and relationship between ductal infiltration and macroscopic type, maximum size, main location, or depth of invasion of tumor; (iv) lymphatic permeation, vascular invasion, and lymph node metastasis; and (v) prognosis. Results: All cases were classified macroscopically as exposed‐tumor type or non‐exposed‐tumor type without ulceration. Extension into the lower bile duct or the pancreatic duct was observed in 43% of the cases. There was no correlation between ductal infiltration and macroscopic type, maximum tumor size, main tumor location, or tumor depth. No lymphatic permeation, vascular invasion, or lymph node metastasis were proven in cases with ampullary cancer confined to the mucosa. In the nine cases with involvement of Oddi's sphincter, lymphatic permeation and lymph node metastasis were observed in two cases and one case, respectively. Conclusion: Endoscopic treatment for early ampullary cancer confined to the mucosa without spread to the bile duct or pancreatic duct is justified as a treatment of choice if detailed histological examination of the resected specimen indicated no invasion beyond its margin.     

Surgical management of hilar bile duct cancer. Preoperative diagnosis,selection of treatment options and clinical outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although the progression of hilar bile duct cancer is slow, without adequate treatment the prognosis becomes poor. Margin-positive or negative resection has often been reported to correlate with the prognosis. Moreover, the value of combined vessel resection for hilar bile duct cancer is still obscure. METHODOLOGY: Fifty-five out of 98 cases of hilar bile duct cancer were treated with surgery. The patients were classified as a microscopic margin-positive resection group with 12 cases and a microscopic margin-negative resection group with 43 cases. The agreement between preoperative diagnosis and pathological findings of resected specimens was examined, as were cumulative survival rates according to clinical and pathological factors. RESULTS: In diagnosis of portal invasion with computed tomography, the rate of coincidence, overestimate and underestimate were 69.8%, 13.2% and 17.0%, respectively. Corresponding rates in diagnosing arterial invasion were 58.5%, 15.1% and 26.4%, respectively, and for lymph node metastasis 54.7%, 9.4% and 35.8%, respectively. The 5-year survival rates for margin-positive and negative resection groups were 17.9% and 26.5%, respectively (NS). Patients surviving for more than 1 year in the margin-positive resection group tended to exhibit exposed cancer cells only at the bile duct, rarely showing lymph node metastases. Combined arterial resection had a poor prognosis and high, usually lethal, complication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Accurate preoperative diagnosis rates of vessel invasion and lymph node metastasis were 60-70% and 56%, respectively. The long-term survival was expected even in margin-positive resection cases without lymph node metastasis. Combined hepatic arterial resection showed no clinical advantage.     

Gallbladder bed resection or hepatectomy of segments 4a and 5 for pT2 gallbladder carcinoma: analysis of Japanese registration cases by the study group for biliary surgery of the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery

Purpose

Hepatectomy of segments 4a and 5 (S4a+5) is the recommended treatment for pT2 gallbladder cancer. However, gallbladder bed resection is also occasionally used. Using nationwide data from the Japanese Biliary Tract Cancer Registry and a questionnaire survey, we retrospectively compared these 2 methods of treatment.

Method

The study involved 85 patients with pT2, pN0 gallbladder cancer (55 treated with gallbladder bed resection, and 30, with S4a+5 hepatectomy). The prognosis and mode of tumor recurrence following treatment were analyzed retrospectively, with overall survival as the endpoint.

Results

The 5-year survival rate did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Univariate analysis showed that bile duct resection and perineural tumor invasion were significant prognostic factors, but the extent of hepatectomy, location of the major intramural tumor, regional lymph node excision, and histological type were not. Multivariate analysis identified perineural tumor invasion as a significant prognostic factor. Recurrence occurred most frequently in both lobes than S4a+5 of the liver following gallbladder bed resection.

Conclusion

In the present study of cases of Japanese Biliary Tract Cancer Registry, it was not possible to conclude that S4a+5 hepatectomy was superior to gallbladder bed resection.     

Portal vein thrombosis associated with hilar bile duct carcinoma and liver abscess

As most portal vein occlusion in hilar bile duct carcinoma is caused by tumor invasion to the portal vein, other mechanisms of its occlusion are very rare. We report the case of a 69-year-old man who underwent surgical resection for an advanced hilar bile duct carcinoma associated with unusual portal vein occlusion. Preoperative diagnosis was advanced hilar bile duct carcinoma with liver abscess and right portal vein occlusion due to tumor invasion. Extended right hepatectomy combined with resection of caudate lobe was performed. Intraoperatively, tumor invasion to the portal vein was not evident and resected margin of the right portal vein showed thrombosis and no evidence of malignancy histologically. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a patient with a combination of portal vein thrombosis and liver abscess in hilar bile duct carcinoma. Although portal vein occlusion due to thrombosis is an unusual complication in hilar bile duct carcinoma, the presence of liver abscess may be a useful diagnostic implication of this occlusion.     

Current surgical treatment for bile duct cancer

Since extrahepatic bile duct cancer is difficult to diagnose and to cure,a safe and radical surgical strategy is needed.In this review,the modes of infiltration and spread of extrahepatic bile duct cancer and surgical strategy are discussed.Extended hemihepatectomy,with or without pancreatoduodenectomy(PD),plus extrahepatic bile duct resection and regional lymphadenectomy has recently been recognized as the standard curative treatment for hilar bile duct cancer.On the other hand,PD is the choice of treatment for middle and distal bile duct cancer.Major hepatectomy concomitant with PD(hepatopancreatoduodenectomy)has been applied to selected patients with widespread tumors.Preoperative biliary drainage(BD)followed by portal vein embolization(PVE)enables major hepatectomy in patients with hilar bile duct cancer without mortality.BD should be performed considering the surgical procedure,especially,in patients with separated intrahepatic bile ducts caused by hilar bile duct cancer.Right or left trisectoriectomy are indicated according to the tumor spread and biliary anatomy.As a result,extended radical resection offers a chance for cure of hilar bile duct cancer with improved resectability,curability,and a 5-year survival rate of 40%.A 5-year survival rate has ranged from 24% to 39% after PD for middle and distal bile duct cancer.     

Metachronous bile duct cancer nine years after resection of gallbladder cancer

We report a rare case of a 74-year-old man with metachronous gallbladder cancer and bile duct cancer who underwent curative resection twice, with the operations nine years apart. At the age of 65 years, the patient underwent a cholecystectomy and resection of the liver bed for gallbladder cancer. This was a welldifferentiated adenocarcinoma, with negative resection margins （T2NOM0, stage Ⅰ B）. Nine years later, during a follow-up examination, abdominal computed tomography and MRCP showed an enhanced 1.7 cm mass in the hilum that extended to the second branch of the right intrahepatic bile duct. We diagnosed this lesion as a perihilar bile duct cancer, Bismuth type Ⅲ a, and performed bile duct excision, right hepatic Iobectomy and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. The histological diagnosis was a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with one regional lymph node metastasis （TINIM0, stage Ⅱ B）. Twelve months after the second operation, the patient is well, with no signs of recurrence. This case is compared with 11 other cases of metachronous biliary tract cancer published in the world medical literature.     

INTRADUCTAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY FOR THE STAGING OF BILE DUCT CARCINOMA

Intraductal ultrasonography is useful in the staging of extrahepatic bile duct cancer including tumor depth infiltration, pancreatic parenchymal invasion, portal vein invasion, and right hepatic artery invasion. However, it has limitations in assessing lymph node metastases. The assessment of longitudinal cancer extension along the bile duct is a promising aspect of this area. However, a thickening of the bile duct wall may represent either inflammatory changes that may result from mechanical irritation by a biliary drainage catheter or other factors, or the longitudinal extension of the cancer.     

Prognostic Impact of Perineural Invasion Following Pancreatoduodenectomy With Lymphadenectomy for Ampullary Carcinoma

The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy with lymphadenectomy for ampullary carcinoma. The records of 46 consecutive patients with ampullary carcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy from 1988 through 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. A 98% rate of potentially curative (R0) resection was achieved. There was no 30-day mortality. Overall 5-year survival rate was 64%. Univariate analysis revealed that T3 and T4 tumor (i.e., pancreatic parenchymal invasion) (P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.01), and perineural invasion (P < 0.001) were significant predictors of poor prognosis. Furthermore, perineural invasion was found to be a significant independent predictor of poor prognosis by multivariate analysis (P = 0.024). Pancreatoduodenectomy with lymphadenectomy for ampullary carcinoma is a safe surgical procedure with an acceptable cure rate. The presence of perineural invasion may be useful for predicting poor prognosis in patients with ampullary carcinoma who undergo potentially curative resection.     

Block resection of the hepatoduodenal ligament for carcinoma of the bile duct and gallbladder. Surgical technique and a report of 11 cases.

Carcinoma of the bile duct and gallbladder often infiltrates the entire hepatoduodenal ligament. Therefore radical resection should include block resection of the hepatoduodenal ligament. Over the last two years, block resection of the hepatoduodenal ligament for carcinoma of the bile duct and gallbladder was performed in 11 patients. When the carcinoma was located in the hilar bile duct, a combination of hemihepatectomy including the caudate lobe and ligamentetomy, "hepato-ligamentectomy", was performed (six cases). When the carcinoma was in the lower bile duct, a combination of pancreatico-duodenectomy and ligamentectomy, "ligamento-pancreatectomy", was performed (three cases). In two extremely advanced cases a combination of both hepatectomy and pancreatectomy with ligamentectomy, "hepato-ligamento-pancreatectomy", was performed. To accomplish these procedures safely, double catheter bypass of the portal circulation, devised by the authors in 1986, proved very effective in maintaining sufficient hepatic circulation and preventing portal congestion during block resection of the hepatoduodenal ligament. Histological evidence of invasion of the carcinoma cells into the hepatoduodenal ligament was detected in 10 cases, and in half of them the hepatic artery or portal vein was involved. As of April 1988, five cases in whom curative resection was performed are still alive, the longest survival period being 18 months. Four cases died in the early postoperative period, three of the deaths being due to sepsis and one to respirator malfunction.