Analysis of the surgical outcome and prognostic factors for hilar cholangiocarcinoma / 中华外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the therapeutic strategies and prognostic factors which influence on clinical outcome of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 144 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent operation between January 1990 and December 2005 were analyzed, including 102 males and 42 females with 36- 74-years-old. All patients underwent resection among which 86 cases (59.7%) had an R0 resection (negative histologic margins), 34 cases (23.6%) had an R1 resection (positive histologic margins), 24 cases (16.7%) had an R2 resection. The Bismuth-Corlette classification of group R0 and R1 28 cases (23.3%) in type I , 49 cases (40.8%) in type II, 10 cases (8.3%) in type III A, 19 cases (15. 8%) in type III B and 14 cases (11.7%) in type IV. The TNM stages of group R0 and R1 19 cases (15.8%) in stage I, 80 cases in stage II (66.7%), 16 cases in stage III (13.3%), 5 cases in stage IV (4.2%). In group R0 and R1, there were 41 cases with well differentiated and 79 cases with moderately and poorly differentiated, 62 cases (51.7%) with negative lymph nodes and 58 cases (48.3%) with positive lymph nodes, 42 cases in stage T1 and 78 cases in stage T2-3, 86 cases with negative blood vessel metastasis and 34 cases with positive blood vessel metastasis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median survival time was 46.8 months after R0 resection, 18.3 months after R1 resection, and 11.2 months after R2 resection. The 1-, 3- and 5-year cumulative survival rates of the patients were 60.2%, 36.1% and 29.4%. Survival rates after resection in patients with negative lymph nodes (n = 62) were significantly longer than that in those with positive lymph nodes (n = 58) (P < 0.01). The T stage system predicted respectability and the likelihood of an R0 resection and correlated with survival (P = 0.030). Patients requiring portal vein resection had a worse prognosis than those without vascular resection (P = 0.047) but still survived longer than patients who were unresectable (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Negative histologic margins, concomitant partial hepatectomy, and well-differentiated tumor histology are associated with improved outcome after all hilar cholangiocarcinoma resections. In patients who underwent an R0 resection, concomitant partial hepatectomy is the only independent predictor of long-term survival.</p>