ABSTRACT
Sixty patients with hilar bile duct cancer were operated on during a period of nine years. The tumor was resected in 45 patients (resection rate:75.0%). A hilar resection with regional lymph-node dissection was performed in 27 patients, and various types of hepatic resections were added in 18 patients. A potentially curative resection was achieved in 20 patients (curative resection rate:44.4%). There were two operative deaths (operative mortality:4.4%). The overall cumulative five-year survival rate was 25.6%. Six patients survived for more than five years. The survival was superior in patients with a curative resection and in those with a combined hepatic resection, but this result was statistically insignificant. Regional lymph-node metastasis, gross type, histologic grade, and perineural invasion were significant prognostic factors. We conclud that improved survival in hilar bile duct cancers can be achieved by a radical resection with acceptable morbidity and mortality.