Etiological and clinicopathologic characteristics of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in young patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and clinicopathologic characteristics of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in young patients.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed in ICC patients referred to the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital in Shanghai, China. Among 317 consecutively enrolled patients, 40 patients were aged <or= 40 years (12.61%). We compared the risk factors and clinicopathologic characteristics of these patients (group I: n = 40) with those aged > 40 years (group II: n = 277).


RESULTS
Group I had distinct features compared with group II, including a low frequency of hepatolithiasis (P = 0.000); a high positive rate of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (P = 0.000) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated cirrhosis (P = 0.038); a high frequency of alpha-fetoprotein (> 400 microg/L) (P = 0.011); a low frequency of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (> 37 U/mL) (P = 0.017); and a high frequency of liver histological inflammation (P = 0.002). Although there was no significant difference between the two groups in regards to hepatic schistosomiasis, alcohol-associated cirrhosis and cirrhosis due to other causes (P > 0.05), they only occurred in the elderly group.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk factors are significantly different between young and elderly ICC patients. HBV and HBV-associated cirrhosis are the most important risk factors for young ICC patients.
Department II of Comprehensive Treatment, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China.
Hua-Bang
HB
Zhou
Hui
H
Wang
Dong-Xun
DX
Zhou
Hao
H
Wang
Qing
Q
Wang
Shan-Shan
SS
Zou
He-Ping
HP
Hu
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000150:complications; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000150:complications; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor