title: Prognostic factors in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prognostic factors in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving chemotherapy have not been fully examined. This study investigated prognostic factors in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five consecutive chemo-naive patients with advanced biliary tract cancer, who received chemotherapy, were analyzed retrospectively to investigate prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median survival time and overall survival rates at 1 and 2 years were 180 days, 21%, and 5%, respectively. By multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model, performance status of 0, 1, serum C-reactive protein level of < or = 1.0mg/dL, serum albumin level of > or = 3.5g/dL, serum lactate dehydrogenase level of < or = 500 U/L, and being female were independent favorable prognostic factors. A prognostic index based on the coefficients of these prognostic factors was used to classify patients into three groups with good, intermediate, and poor prognoses. The median survival times for these three groups were 246, 152, and 33 days, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results may be helpful for predicting life expectancy, determining treatment strategies, and designing future clinical trials in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshimitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saisho
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okusaka
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Chigusa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morizane
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002423:Cause of Death; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010166:Palliative Care; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor