ABSTRACT
Context: Better management strategies are needed to improve the survival of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA). Aims: This study was designed to examine the effects of different treatment methods on survival and prognostic factors in HCCA. Settings and Design: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 354 patients with HCCA treated at our institution from 2003 to 2013. Materials and Methods: Patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment: the radical resection group, the nonradical resection group, and the biliary drainage-only group. Statistical Analysis Used: The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compare survival rates between the groups, and the independent prognostic factors were assessed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There were 110 patients in the radical resection group, 93 patients in the nonradical resection group, and 151 patients in the biliary drainage-only group, and they showed differing survival rates: 1-year survival rates of 70.7%, 49.5%, and 31.3%; 2-year survival rates of 62.9%, 24.7%, and 9.0%; 3-year survival rates of 34.7%, 4.0%, and 0%; and median survival of 21.7 months, 13.6 months, and 8.7 months, respectively. The radical resection group had the longest overall survival (P< 0.001). Treatment method, albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TBIL), postoperative pathological T-stage, and distant metastasis were identified as independent prognostic indicators of survival. Conclusions: Radical resection significantly increases survival in patients with HCCA, and an increase in ALB and a decrease in TBIL improve the prognosis of patients with HCCA