External-beam radiotherapy for localized extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The role of radiation therapy (RT) in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC) is not clear and only limited reports exist on the use of this modality. We have reviewed our institutional experience to determine the pattern of failure in patients after potentially curative resection and the expected outcomes after adjuvant RT and in unresectable patients.


METHODS
After institutional review board approval, 81 patients diagnosed with EHCC (gallbladder 28, distal bile duct 24, hilar 29) between June 1986 and December 2004 were identified and their records reviewed. Twenty-eight patients (35%) underwent potentially curative resection with R0/R1 margins. Fifty-two patients (64%) were unresectable or underwent resection with macroscopic residual disease (R2). All patients received three-dimensional planned megavoltage RT. The dose for each patient was converted to the equivalent total dose in a 2 Gy/fraction, using the linear-quadratic formalism and alpha/beta ratio of 10. The median dose delivered was 58.4 Gy (range, 23-88.2 Gy). 54% received concomitant chemotherapy.


RESULTS
With a median follow-up time of 1.2 years (range, 0.1-9.8 years) 75 patients (93%) have died. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 14.7 (95% CI, 13.1-16.3) and 11 (95% CI, 7.6-13.2) months, respectively. There was no difference among the three disease sites in OS (p = 0.70) or PFS (p = 0.80). Complete resection (R0) was the only predictive factor significantly associated with increase in both OS and PFS (p = 0.002), and there was no difference in outcomes between R1 and R2 resections. The first site of failure was predominantly locoregional (68.8% of all failures).


CONCLUSIONS
Local failure is a major problem in EHCC, suggesting the need for more intense radiation schedules and better radiosensitizing strategies. Because R1 resection appears to convey no benefit, it appears that surgery should be contemplated only when an R0 resection is likely. Borderline-resectable patients might be better served by neoadjuvant therapy.
Ben-David
Merav A
MA
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0010, USA.
Griffith
Kent A
KA
Abu-Isa
Eyad
E
Lawrence
Theodore S
TS
Knol
James
J
Zalupski
Mark
M
Ben-Josef
Edgar
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis