title: Long-term survival in hilar cholangiocarcinoma also possible in unresectable patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radical resection remains the only curative treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA). Only a limited proportion of patients, however, are eligible for resection. The survival and prognostic factors of these patients are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival and prognostic factors in unresectable patients presenting with HCCA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cohort study of the denominator of HCCA patients seen in a tertiary referral center between March 2003 and March 2009. Demographics, treatment, pathology results, and survival were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 217 patients with suspected HCCA were identified. Ninety-five patients (40 %) underwent laparotomy, and in 57 (63 %) of these patients resection was performed. Overall median and 5-year survival of resected patients were 37 months and 43 %, respectively, as compared to 13 months and 7 % in unresectable patients. In unresectable patients, median survival was better in patients with locally advanced disease (16 months) as compared to patients with hepatic and extrahepatic metastases (5 and 3 months, p < 0.001). Of the 160 unresectable patients, 17 (10 %) survived longer than 3 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the patients presenting with HCCA in our center, 26 % proved resectable. The 7 % long-term survival rate of unresectable patients is remarkable and emphasizes the indolent growth of some of these tumors. Patients with metastases had a much worse prognosis with a median of 4 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.t.ruys@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Anthony T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ruys
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Haelst
authors.forename: Olivier R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Erik A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Rauws
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gouma
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: van Gulik
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* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis