Results of surgical treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and clinicopathological factors influencing survival.
BACKGROUND
The results of surgical treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and specific factors influencing survival are still unclear.


METHODS
Between 1984 and 2001, 62 patients with ICC underwent laparotomy, with a 77 per cent (48 patients) resectability rate. The tumours in these 48 patients were reviewed retrospectively to examine the relationship between gross appearance (mass forming, periductal infiltrating, intraductal growth, and mass forming plus periductal infiltrating) and patient survival, as well as the manner of recurrence. In patients with mass-forming and mass-forming plus periductal infiltrating types, univariate and multivariate analyses of potential prognostic factors were performed.


RESULTS
The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 62, 38 and 23 per cent respectively. All patients with the intraductal growth type remained alive after intervals ranging from 8 to 72 months. Univariate analysis showed multiple hepatic lesions, liver capsule invasion, presence of cancer cells in the resection margin, and high serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level to be significant negative prognostic factors. Lymph node involvement, however, was not identified as a significant prognostic factor. With multivariate analysis, multiple hepatic lesions and high serum CA19-9 concentration were found to be significantly related to prognosis. The most frequent recurrence site was the remnant liver.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the intraductal growth type of tumour should be treated as a distinct entity compared with other types of ICC. Multiple tumours and high serum CA19-9 level were signs of dismal prognosis, whereas not all patients with lymph node involvement had a poor prognosis.
Ohtsuka
M
M
Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuoh-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
Ito
H
H
Kimura
F
F
Shimizu
H
H
Togawa
A
A
Yoshidome
H
H
Miyazaki
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors