title: Prognostic factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after hepatic resection: univariate and multivariate analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is clinicopathologically distinct from hepatocellular carcinoma and hilar cholangiocarcinoma, and the prognostic factors after hepatic resection of these rare tumors are not well documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after hepatic resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 20 consecutive patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who underwent hepatectomy over a 15-year period from 1984 to 1998. Fifteen prognostic factors were evaluated for their association with overall and disease-free survivals in univariate and multivariate analysis (Cox's proportional hazards model).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty percent of the resected patients had major hepatectomy. Operative morbidity and mortality rates were 30% and 0%, respectively. Four patients (20%) survived more than 5 years without recurrence after hepatic resection. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall or disease-free survival rate after hepatic resection were 56.0% or 49.5%, 43.8% or 43.3%, and 43.8% or 37.3%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed young age and periductal invasion tumor or the presence of vascular invasion, lymphatic invasion, and lymph node metastasis as significant poor prognostic predictors contributing overall and disease-free survivals. Multivariate analysis revealed only lymph node metastasis as an independent prognostic factor affecting disease-free survival. During the same time, 17 unresectable patients were treated by intrahepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (12), systemic chemotherapy (4), or radiation (1). Median overall survival time in resected patients (16 months) was significantly better than in unresectable patients (5 months) (P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic resection remains to be the best current therapeutic option. The prognosis after hepatic resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was determined by lymph node metastasis. New adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery is imperative for such patients.
authors: Second Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan. hanayan@hsp.md.shinshu-u.ac.jp
authors: Kazuhiro
authors: K
authors: Hanazaki
authors: Shoji
authors: S
authors: Kajikawa
authors: Nobuhiko
authors: N
authors: Shimozawa
authors: Ko
authors: K
authors: Shimada
authors: Manabu
authors: M
authors: Hiraguri
authors: Naohiko
authors: N
authors: Koide
authors: Wataru
authors: W
authors: Adachi
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Amano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome