Comparison of combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma with hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC) is a rare primary hepatic neoplasm (PHN) with features of both hepatocellular and biliary differentiation. We compared the outcome of hepatic resection in patients with HCC-CC, those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and those with cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).


METHODS
Between November 1994 and December 2003, 952 patients underwent hepatic resection for a PHN.


RESULTS
The incidence of HCC-CC was 3.5%. Hepatitis B surface antigen was positive in 51.2% of these patients and the HCV antibody was positive in 12.2%. Positive hepatitis serology was more common in the HCC group (66.7%). The prevalence of underlying liver cirrhosis was significantly lower in the ICC group (7.8%) than in the HCC (49%) and HCC-CC (41.5%) groups (P < 0.0001). The median overall survival periods after hepatic resection of HCC-CC, HCC, and ICC were 47.3, 71.7, and 21.5 months, respectively (P < 0.0001). The median disease-free survival (DFS) periods after hepatic resection for HCC-CC, HCC, and ICC were 23.4, 68.2, and 15.5 months, respectively (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with transitional type HCC-CC had significantly poorer survival rates than those with HCC, after hepatic resection. Therefore, a more aggressive treatment modality should be explored to improve the survival rate of these patients.
Lee
Won-Suk
WS
Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Ilwon-dong 50, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
Lee
Kwang-Woong
KW
Heo
Jin-Seok
JS
Kim
Sung-Ju
SJ
Choi
Seong-Ho
SH
Kim
Yong-Il
YI
Joh
Jae-Won
JW
D000293:Adolescent; 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; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate