Indications for extended hepatectomy in the management of stage IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
In operations for hilar cholangiocarcinoma, simultaneous extended hepatectomy and removal of extrahepatic bile ducts are considered curative resection. However, the effect of extended operations for stage IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma on survival is still unclear.


METHODS
Retrospective review of the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma from 1981 to 2001.


METHODS
Fifty-seven patients with stage IVA or IVB hilar cholangiocarcinoma were enrolled. Thirty-three of these patients underwent extended hepatectomy to achieve macroscopic radical resection (surgical group). A self-expandable metallic biliary stent (EMBS) was implanted in 24 patients (EMBS group) in whom radical treatment was judged to be impossible. Main Outcome Measure Survival in patients with stage IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma treated by means of extended operation or stenting.


RESULTS
Survival was 25.7 +/- 40.9 months in the surgical group vs 6.5 +/- 5.8 months in the EMBS group (P =.03). In the surgical group, radical resection results were macroscopically and histologically successful in 21 patients (64%). In patients with stage IVB disease, survival did not differ between the surgical and EMBS groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with stage IVA disease, radical extended hepatectomy should be performed after excluding patients who have extensive invasion of the hepatic artery or portal vein. However, in patients with stage IVB disease with carcinomatous peritonitis or distant metastasis, there is little possibility of achieving long-term survival with surgery, and stent implantation should be the first choice.
Uchiyama
Kazuhisa
K
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8510, Japan.
Nakai
Takehiro
T
Tani
Masaji
M
Onishi
Hironobu
H
Kinoshita
Hiroyuki
H
Kawai
Manabu
M
Ueno
Masaki
M
Yamaue
Hiroki
H
D000368:Aged; 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*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate