title: Hepatic arterial infusion for biliary tract carcinoma: single-center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate a single-center experience in hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of patients with biliary tract carcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 60 patients treated between 1997 and 2011 was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most patients were treated with HAI of a combination of 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid and cisplatin. The response was not evaluable in most patients, predominantly because of prior surgical procedures. The median survival of all patients was 15.1 months (5-year survival=13%). The survival was significantly better in patients treated with radical surgery (median=50.1 months, 5-year survival=45%) or palliative surgery (median=22.5 months, 5-year survival=13%) compared to no surgery (median=7.6 months, 5-year survival=3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current data demonstrate the efficacy of HAI in patients with biliary tract carcinoma. HAI is a therapeutic method to be considered in patients with inoperable biliary tract carcinoma and no extrahepatic spread.
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Oncology, Palacký University Medical School & Teaching Hospital, I.P. Pavlova 6, 775 20 Olomouc, Czech Republic. bohuslav.melichar@fnol.cz
authors.forename: Bohuslav
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melichar
authors.forename: Zbynek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Voboril
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dvorák
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferko
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rozkos
authors.forename: Antonín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krajina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies