title: Pancreatoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma: prognostic impact of lymph node metastasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to identify useful prognostic factors in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 36 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Potential clinicopathological prognostic factors that may affect survival were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no mortality. Overall survival rates were 75%, 54%, and 50% for 1, 3 and 5 years, respectively (median survival time, 26 months). Univariate analysis found that age (>== 65 years), pancreatic invasion, duodenal invasion, lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion and a positive surgical margin were significant predictors of poor prognosis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, lymph node metastasis was found to be a significant independent predictor of poor prognosis by multivariate analysis (P = 0.043). Moreover, there were significant differences in the 5-year survival between patients with 2 or less involved lymph nodes and those with 3 or more positive nodes (P < 0.001). There were no 2-year survivors of the group of patients with 3 or more positive nodes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the presence and number of lymph nodes exhibiting metastatic disease might be useful in predicting the postsurgical outcome in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Clinical Medical Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan. mura777@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Kenichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashidani
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohge
authors.forename: Taijiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sueda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome