Principles of surgical resection in hilar cholangiocarcinoma

The aim of this article is to describe the surgical techniques for the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma(HC).Resection with microscopically negative margin(R0) is the only way to cure patients with HC.Today,resection of the caudate lobe and part of segment Ⅳ,combined with a right or left hepatectomy,bile duct resection,lymphadenectomy of the hepatic hilum and sometimes vascular resection,is the standard surgical procedure for HC.Intraoperative frozen-section examination of proximal and distal biliary margins is necessary to confirm the suitability of resection.Although lymphadenectomy probably has little direct effect on survival,inaccurate staging information may influence post resection treatment recommendations.Aggressive venous and arterial resections should be undertaken in selected cases to achieve a R0 resection.The concept of "no-touch proposed" in 1999 by Neuhaus et al combine an extended right hepatectomy with systematic portal vein resection and caudate lobectomy avoiding hilar dissection and possible intraoperative microscopic dissemination of cancer cells.More recently minor liver resections have been proposed for treatment of HC.As the hilar bifurcation of the bile ducts is near to liver segments Ⅳ,Ⅴ and Ⅰ,adequate liver resection of these segments together with the bile ducts can result in cure.     

A case of bile duct cancer with positive surgical margin obtaining long-term survival after S-1 monotherapy

We report a case of bile duct cancer with a positive surgical margin obtaining long-term survival after S-1 monotherapy. A 79-year-old male with fever and liver dysfunction was admitted to our hospital. After a series of examinations he was diagnosed as hilar cholangiocarcinoma, which was treated with bile duct resection and biliary reconstruction for adhesion and pulmonary dysfunction of tuberculosis. Histopathological findings revealed that both surgical margins of the bile duct were positive. After operation, the patient received S-1 oral monotherapy(100mg/day for 28 days, followed by 14 days of rest)for 3 years. The patient has been alive for 5 years without recurrence.     

Hepatic resection in the treatment of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma

Proximal bile duct cancer poses a difficult surgical problem in hepatobiliary surgery because of its location, patterns of spread, and required extent of resection for complete excision. This article focuses on the anatomic and pathologic issues that are associated with proximal bile duct cancer and assesses the roles of partial hepatectomy and bile duct resection in the surgical management of this cancer. It is hoped that this article provides clinical evidence that supports hepatic resection as an essential and efficacious component of the surgical management of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma in selected patients.     

The impact of portal vein resection on outcomes for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: A multi-institutional analysis of 305 cases

BACKGROUND. Surgical strategy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma often includes hepatectomy, but the role of portal vein resection (PVR) remains controversial. In this study, the authors sought to identify factors associated with outcome after surgical management of hilar cholangiocarcinoma and examined the impact of PVR on survival.

METHODS:

Three hundred five patients who underwent curative‐intent surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma between 1984 and 2010 were identified from an international, multi‐institutional database. Clinicopathologic data were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS:

Most patients had hilar cholangiocarcinoma with tumors classified as T3/T4 (51.1%) and Bismuth‐Corlette type II/III (60.9%). Resection involved extrahepatic bile duct resection (EHBR) alone (26.6%); or hepatectomy and EHBR without PVR (56.7%); or combined hepatectomy, EHBR, and PVR (16.7%). Negative resection (R0) margin status was higher among the patients who underwent hepatectomy plus EHBR (without PVR, 64.2%; with PVR, 66.7%) versus EHBR alone (54.3%; P < .001). The median number of lymph nodes assessed was higher among the patients who underwent hepatectomy plus EHBR (without PVR, 6 lymph nodes; with PVR, 4 lymph nodes) versus EHBR alone (2 lymph nodes; P < .001). The 90‐day mortality rate was lower for patients who underwent EHBR alone (1.2%) compared with the rate for patients who underwent hepatectomy plus EHBR (without PVR, 10.6%, with PVR, 17.6%; P < .001). The overall 5‐year survival rate was 20.2%. Factors that were associated with an adverse prognosis included lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; P = .002) and R1 margin status (HR, 1.81; P < .001). Microscopic vascular invasion did not influence survival (HR, 1.23; P = .19). Among the patients who underwent hepatectomy plus EHBR, PVR was not associated with a worse long‐term outcome (P = .76).

CONCLUSIONS:

EHBR alone was associated with a greater risk of positive surgical margins and worse lymph node clearance. The current results indicated that hepatectomy should be considered the standard treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma, and PVR should be undertaken when necessary to extirpate all disease. Combined hepatectomy, EHBR, and PVR can offer long‐term survival in some patients with advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.     

A case of curative resected hilar bile duct cancer with hepatic artery and portal vein reconstructions

The indication for surgical resection due to hilar bile duct cancer (BDC) with vessel reconstructions is still controversial. We report herein a successfully resected case due to hilar BDC with hepatic artery (HA) and portal vein (PV) reconstructions using autograft from a resected liver. A 57-year-old woman was diagnosed as hilar BDC, and computed tomography showed a tumor invaded left and common hepatic duct, right and left HA, and left main branch of PV. Because the extrahepatic area of right HA was free from the tumor, we performed left hepatectomy and caudate lobectomy with HA and PV reconstructions. We used auto left hepatic vein graft from the resected liver for PV reconstruction, because there was no appropriate size vein graft, e.g. inferior mesenteric vein. The patient is alive without any evidence of recurrence for 8 months after the surgery.     

肝细胞癌合并胆管癌的临床分型以及手术方式选择对疾病预后的影响

目的 探讨肝细胞癌合并胆管癌的临床特征分型及手术治疗方式选择对远期效果的影响.方法 回顾性分析100例肝细胞癌合并胆管癌患者的就诊资料、肿瘤临床分型及手术方式、生存资料,手术方式有胆管切开取癌栓、肝癌切除并胆管癌切除、胆管支架置入引流等,分析不同手术方式对远期预后的影响.结果 100例确诊并进行根治手术治疗的患者有92例,其中肝细胞癌切除并胆管切口取癌栓的有38例,肝细胞癌切除并胆管癌切除的有48例,胆管支架植入引流的有6例,术后围手术期死亡的患者有9例,25例出现围手术并发症,术后1年、2年、3年的生存率分别为63.0％、25.0％、19.6％,生存期平均为(20.6 ±10.6)个月.通过单因素分析结果显示肝细胞癌合并胆管癌生存期与临床分型及手术方式选择有关.多因素分析结果显示手术方式的选择为影响生存期的独立因素.结论 手术方式的选择是影响肝细胞癌合并胆管癌治疗效果的重要因素.若能早期发现病灶并选择合理的手术方式进行根治,对于延长患者生存期具有重要的意义.     

Surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma; a 10 year experience of a tertiary referral centre in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: To review the outcome of patients operated for hilar cholangiocarcinoma and analyse prognostic variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospectively collected database on patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma, between 1992 and 2003, and relevant clinical notes were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 174 patients, 96 male, median age 63 years (27-86), were referred. Jaundice was the initial presentation in 167. RESULTS: ERCP was the initial interventional investigation at the referring centre in 150, of which only 30 were stented successfully. PTC and decompression was carried out on 120. In 17, combined PTC and ERCP were required for placement of stents. Seventy-two underwent laparotomy at which 27 had locally advanced disease. Forty-five had potentially curative resections. Extra hepatic bile duct resection was done in 14 patients of which four were R0 resections. Thirty-one had bile duct resection including partial hepatectomy with 19 R0 resections (P=0.042). Post-operative complications developed in 19 patients, and there were 4 30 day mortalities [hepatic insufficiency:/sepsis (n=3), thrombosis of the reconstructed portal vein (n=1)]. Among the patients with R0 resections, the cumulative survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 year; was 83, 58, 41%, respectively, and in those with R1 resections were 71, 24, 24%, respectively, (P=0.021). Overall survival was shorter in patients with positive perineural invasion (P=0.066: NS). There was no significant difference in survival between the node positive and negative group. Median survival of patients who underwent liver resection was longer than those with bile duct resection only (30 vs 24 months P=0.43: NS). CONCLUSIONS: ERCP was associated with a high failure rate in achieving pre-operative biliary decompression which was subsequently achieved by PTC. Clear histological margins were associated with improved survival and were better achieved by liver resection as compared to extra hepatic bile duct resection. Positive level I lymph nodes did not adversely impact survival.     

Neoadjuvant photodynamic therapy as a new approach to treating hilar cholangiocarcinoma: a phase II pilot study

BACKGROUND: Only 20-30% of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinomas (CC) are candidates for potentially curative resection. However, even after curative (R0) resection, these patients have a disease recurrence rate of up to 76%. The current prospective Phase II study investigated photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a neoadjuvant treatment for CC. METHODS: Seven patients with advanced proximal bile duct carcinoma were evaluated. Patients were treated with PDT at the area of tumor infiltration and 2 cm beyond and underwent surgery after a median period of 6 weeks (range, 3-44 weeks). RESULTS: One patient had a Bismuth-Corlette Type II tumor, two patients had Type IIIa, one patient had Type IIIb, and three patients had Type IV. Cholestasis parameters after PDT decreased significantly. No relevant adverse events from PDT occurred except for minor intraoperative phototoxicity in one patient. Three patients underwent right-sided liver resections, two patients underwent left-sided liver resections, and one patient received a combined hilar resection with partial pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) due to tumor extension into the distal bile duct. Liver transplantation and PD were performed in another patient. In all patients, R0 resection was achieved. Four patients developed minor surgical complications, even though the bilioenteric anastomoses were sewn to PDT-pretreated bile ducts. No viable tumor cells were found in the inner 4 mm layer of the surgical specimens. The PDT-pretreated epithelium of the tumor-free proximal resection margins exhibited only minimal inflammatory infiltration. Tumors recurred in 2 patients 6 and 19 months after surgery. The 1-year recurrence free survival rate was 83%. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant PDT for hilar CC is a low-risk procedure with efficient selective destruction of the superficial 4 mm layer of bile duct tumor without complications exceeding series without neoadjuvant PDT. Neoadjuvant PDT should be evaluated prospectively to determine whether it reduces the rate of local disease recurrence after potentially curative resection.     

Chemotherapy with gemcitabine after non-curative resection of bile duct cancer--a case report

Non-curative resection for cholangiocarcinoma usually leads to a poor prognosis. We present a case successfully treated with gemcitabine for residual tumor after extra hepatic bile duct resection with positive surgical margin. The patient was a 77-year-old male who was diagnosed as having a common bile duct cancer. Extra hepatic bile duct resection was performed, but intraoperative pathology diagnosed the surgical margin of duodenal-side bile duct was positive for cancer. Although additional resection of bile duct was done, pathological diagnosis resulted in positive margin again. We had to avoid pancreatoduodenectomy in light of the patient's wishes, so a curative resection could not be carried out. Adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine(800 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks)was started at the seventh postoperative day. A residual lesion was shown in the pancreas head by abdominal CT after 2 courses of chemotherapy. Follow-up CT was performed every 6 months, and the lesion gradually seemed to become unclear. Finally, CT showed disappearance of the residual lesion 28 months after surgery. The chemotherapy has been continued up to the present(3 years and 5 months after surgery). No evidence of recurrence nor adverse events of WHO grade 2 or more has been observed.     

Surgical-management of carcinoma of the middle and distal bile-duct

Forty patients underwent surgical resection for cancer of the middle and distal bile duct. Nineteen patients underwent a curative resection with 3- and 5-year survival rates of 63% and 48%, respectively. None of the patients who underwent a palliative resection survived two years. The factor most strongly associated with recurrence was the presence of tumor in the surgical margin. Recurrence was frequent in patients with disease in the middle portion of the bile duct who underwent extrahepatic biliary resection with choledochojejunostomy, while lower bile duct cancer was associated with peri-aortic or retroperitoneal recurrence. Pancreatoduodenectomy, with combined resection of the portal vein in middle bile duct cancer, regional lymphadenectomy, including peri-aortic lymph nodes and nerve plexus is required for curative resection of middle and distal biliary carcinoma beyond the early noninvasive stage.     

Chirurgische Therapie des zentralen Gallengangskarzinoms

Resection represents the only potential curative treatment option for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Over the past decades the broader application of extended resection including left or right liver resections has led to an increasing surgical radicality and an improvement in the long-term results after surgical treatment. Therefore, presently en bloc hilar resection with right or left hemihepatectomy represents the standard treatment for this tumor entity. In our own strategy we prefer the concept of right trisectionectomy principally with resection of the bifurcation of the portal vein as this operative procedure leads to long-term survival rates of about 60%. By the establishment of new neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy concepts the results after liver transplantation could also be markedly improved with 5 year survival rates over 70% after treatment using the Mayo Clinic protocol. Therefore, hilar cholangiocarcinoma is now a tumor for which a better survival rate can be achieved than for a number of other gastrointestinal carcinomas.     

A case of unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma successfully treated by gemcitabine and S-1 combination chemotherapy

A 52-year-old male was presented with obstructive jaundice and liver dysfunction. He was diagnosed as hilar cholangiocarcinoma involving the confluence of the right and left hepatic duct and bifurcation of the main portal vein trunk. Swollen lymph nodes in the hepatoduodenal ligament were also detected. ERBD tubes were placed in each B2, 3, and 5 branch. GEM and S-1 combination chemotherapy was carried out for four months. As a reduction in the primary tumor and lymph nodes was observed on CT scan surgical exploration was conducted, and an extended left hepatectomy with partial resection of the portal vein and regional lymph node dissection was achieved. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remained free of recurrence, 34 months after the original diagnosis was made, and 29 months after surgical resection. Thus, GEM and S-1 combination chemotherapy is one of the options for the management of advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma.     

What is the current state-of-the-art imaging for detection and staging of cholangiocarcinoma?

Cholangiocarcinoma is an adenocarcinoma that arises from the bile duct epithelium and is the second most common primary hepatobiliary cancer, after hepatocellular cancer, with approximately 2,500 cases annually in the U.S. However, cholangiocarcinoma remains a relatively rare disease, accounting for <2% of all human malignancies. Although the entire biliary tree is potentially at risk, tumors involving the biliary confluence or the right or left hepatic ducts (hilar cholangiocarcinoma) are most common and account for 40%-60% of all cases. Most patients present with advanced disease that is not amenable to surgical treatment. The median survival time for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma without involvement of the hilum varies among centers from 18-30 months. The median survival time for patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma is slightly less, varying from 12-24 months. Despite the overall poor prognosis, survival after surgical treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma has improved during the past 10-15 years. This review highlights the imaging features of cholangiocarcinoma, with particular emphasis on the imaging techniques that can best assess tumor resectability and guide the surgeon regarding the potential extent of resection required in operable candidates.     

肝部分切除与肝十二指肠韧带骨髂化治疗肝门部胆管癌

Objective To summarize the surgical experience of partial hepatectomy with skeletonization of the hepatoduodenal ligament in the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods Between Jan.1999 and Dec,2001,67 consecutive patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent surgical exploration at the Second Military Medical University,Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital.The clinical data of these patients were reviewed.Results Of the 67 patients,65(97%) underwent surgical resection.Fourty-nine patients(73%) received curative resection:22 skeletonization resection(SR) and 27 SR combined with partial hepatectomy.In 16 patients(9%) with curative resection the tumor margin was histologically postive and the resection was therefore considered palliative.The tumors were classified according to Bismuth with SR was type Ⅱ(17cases),various types of partial hepatectomy with SR was type Ⅲ and type IV.Right lobectomy with right caudate lobectomy was indicated in type Ⅲ(6cases),left lobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy in type Ⅲb(15cases),right loobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy(3 cases),left lobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy(9 cases) and quadrate lobectomy(2 cases)in type IV.SR and left lobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy was successfully performed in 2 patients(3%) who had undergone palliative biliary resection and cholangiojejunostomy before.Eight patients(12%) had local resecton of the tumor with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy reconstruction using intrahepatic stents.Two patients(3%) had palliative biliary drainage.Combined portal vein resection was performed in 13 patients(20%) and hepatic artery resection in 27 patients(40%) .Twenty-four atients(36%) had no postoperative complication,23 patients(34%) had minor complications only ,and the remaining 20 patients(30%) had major complications.Of the 20 patients with major complications,14 recovered,the remaining 6 patients died from hepatorenal failure with other organ failures,from myocardial infarction or from intraabdominal or gastrointestianl bleeding 7,12,14,42,57 or 89 days after surgery.The 30-day operative mortality was 4.5%.The mean survival of the patient with curative resecton was 16 months(range 1-32 months);for those undergong palliative resection mean survival was 7 months(range 1-14months).Conlusion Partial hepatectomy with SR for hilar cholangiocarcinoma can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality.For curative treatmet of hilar cholangiocarcinoma,caudate lobectomy is always recommended in Bismuth Ⅲ/IV.     

联合肝叶切除治疗肝门部胆管癌的疗效分析

背景与目的：肝门部胆管癌(hilar cholangiocarcinoma,HC)侵袭途径广泛以及术后缺乏有效辅助治疗,目前患者获得治愈的惟一途径依然是手术根治性切除。术前可切除性评估、术前胆道引流、肝切除的范围及淋巴结清扫范围等问题一直是研究的热点。本文探讨联合肝叶切除治疗HC的临床经验及疗效。方法：回顾性分析昆明医科大学第一附属医院2007年1月—2013年10月行手术治疗的207例HC患者的临床及随访资料。结果：全组207例患者中,125例行根治性切除(R₀切除),R₀切除率为60.4%。联合肝叶切除156例,肝叶切除组获R0切除率70.5%;51例行单纯性切除,单纯性切除组获R₀切除率29.4%,两组比较R₀切除率差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。2例患者死于围手术期,术后主要并发症包括肝肾功能不全和胆漏。获得随访的172例中,102例行R₀切除的患者中位生存时间为45个月,术后1、3、5年累积生存率分别为96.1%、59.1%、17.2%,70例行R_1-2切除的患者中位生存时间为26个月,术后1、3年累积生存率分别为81.3%、19.2%,无5年存活患者。获得R₀切除患者术后生存率优于姑息性切除(R_1-2切除)患者,差异有统计学意义(χ²=39.121,P<0.01)。在联合肝叶切除组中获R₀切除患者术后1、3、5年生存率为97.8%、63.9%、18.0%,在单纯性切除组中获R₀切除患者术后1、3、5年生存率为83.3%、20.8%、8.3%,两组术后生存率差异有统计学意义(χ²=5.988,P=0.014)。结论：根治性切除是提高HC远期疗效的关键,联合肝叶切除及标准化淋巴结清扫可显著提高HC的根治性切除率及远期疗效。     

Efficacy and safety of liver transplantation in patients with cholangiocarcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of liver transplantation in patients with cholangiocarcinoma. According to the requirements of Cochrane systematic review, a thorough literature search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane electronic databases between 1995 and 2009 in terms of the key words "liver transplantation" and "cholangiocarcinoma," "cholangiocellular carcinoma" or "bile duct cancer," with restricted articles for the English language. Data were processed for a meta-analysis by Stata 10 software. Altogether 14 clinical trials containing 605 transplanted patients of bile duct cancers were finally enrolled in our study. The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year pooled survival rates were 0.73 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.65-0.80], 0.42 (95% CI = 0.33-0.51) and 0.39 (95% CI = 0.28-0.51), respectively. Of note, preoperative adjuvant therapies [orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT)-PAT group] rendered the transplanted individuals with comparably favorable outcomes with 1-, 3- and 5-year pooled survival rates of 0.83 (95% CI = 0.57-0.98), 0.57 (95% CI = 0.18-0.92) and 0.65 (95% CI = 0.40-0.87). In addition, the overall pooled incidence of complications was 0.62 (95% CI = 0.44-0.78), among which that of OLT-PAT group (0.58; 95% CI = 0.20-0.92) was relatively acceptable compared to those of liver transplantation alone (0.61; 95% CI = 0.33-0.85) and liver transplantation with extended bile duct resection (0.78; 95% CI = 0.55-0.94). In comparison to curative resection of cholangiocarcinoma with the 5-year survival rate reported from 20 to 40%, the role of liver transplantation alone is so limited. In the future, attention will be focused on liver transplantation following neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy, which requires a well-designed, prospective randomized controlled study.     

Extended right hepatectomy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma with resection of the left hepatic duct prior to hepatic resection

Extended hepatectomy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma results in high operative or in-hospital mortality rates despite of the recent progress in perioperative management. As a new procedure to prevent postoperative hepatic failure in hilar cholangiocarcinoma infiltrating predominantly the right hepatic duct, we devised a combination of extended right lobectomy plus caudal lobectomy with resection of the left hepatic duct prior to hepatic resection by utilizing intraoperative cholangiography, and applied the procedure to a 70-year-old patient. He had a favorable postoperative course and remains recurrence-free at 4 years after operation. This is a procedure for confining the extent of hepatectomy to the minimum necessary, aiming at curative resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.     

Treatment of liver cancer: current status and future prospectives

The most common liver cancers are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC), and metastatic colorectal cancer. In HCC patients, the extent of the surgical resection is limited due to the functional status of the underlying cirrhotic liver. Limited resection, transarterial catheter embolization, ethanol injection, and microwave coagulation have been applied to treat the patients with liver hypofunction; however, the intrahepatic recurrence rate was relatively high in those patients. Therefore, liver transplantation is the only radical treatment to remove HCC and cirrhotic livers with viral infections. Recent advances in anti-viral agents promise to improve the outcome after liver transplantation in patients with HCC. On the other hand, CCC is outside the indications for liver transplantation because of the broad extension of lymph node and nerve plexus. In liver metastasis from colorectal cancer, overall survival is not greatly improved, although arterial chemotherapy reduces mortality related to liver metastasis. Surgical resection including repeated hepatectomy indicates better survival in patients with liver metastases. In the future, both CCC and metastatic liver cancer could be candidates for gene therapy. For the 21 century, a new therapeutic strategy incorporating clinical evidence, molecular biology, and organ replacement needs to be established for the treatment of liver cancer.     

Prognostic significance of lymph node metastasis and surgical margin status for distal cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Prognostic indicators for patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma have not been confirmed because of its rarity. The aim of this study was to identify useful prognostic factors in patients undergoing surgical resection for distal cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: Charts of 43 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed. Pancreatoduodenectomy was performed in 35 patients, and segmental bile duct resection in 8. Potential clinicopathological prognostic factors were examined by univariate and multivariate survival analysis. RESULTS: Postoperative complications occurred after surgery in 19 patients (44%), but there was no mortality. Overall survival rates were 72%, 53%, and 44% for 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively (median survival time, 26.0 months). Univariate analysis found that older age, pathological pancreatic invasion, lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion, positive surgical margin, and TNM stages II and III were significant predictors of poor prognosis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, lymph node metastasis and positive surgical margin were found to be significant independent predictors of poor prognosis with a Cox proportional hazards regression model (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that lymph node metastasis and positive surgical margin as determined by surgical resection might be useful in predicting post-surgical outcome in patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma.     

Radiotherapy and multimodality management of cholangiocarcinoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of radiotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma patients managed with various combinations of chemotherapy and surgical resection with selective liver transplantation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From January 1990 to December 1995, 61 patients with histologically confirmed biliary duct adenocarcinoma were seen in the Radiation Oncology Department of the University of Pittsburgh. Median follow-up was 22 months (1 to 91 months). The extent of surgery was complete resection in 23 patients (including 17 with orthotopic liver transplant), partial resection in 4, and biopsy in 34. All patients had radiotherapy; median dose was 49.5 Gy. Thirty patients received chemotherapy: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-leucovorin with interferon alpha (IFNalpha) in 27, and taxol in 3. RESULTS: The median survival was 20 months (95% CI 15-25 months). The 5-year actuarial survival was 23.8 +/- 6.8%. The only significant variable in multivariate analysis was achieving a complete resection with negative margins through conventional surgery or liver transplantation (p = 0.001, hazard rate ratio [HRR] = 0.25, 95% CI 0.12-0.54). Patients with complete resections had a 5-year actuarial survival of 53.5 +/- 10.9%. CONCLUSION: Combined modality therapy that includes complete surgical resection with or without transplantation can be curative in the majority of patients with biliary duct carcinoma. Further study is needed to better define the roles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma.