[Surgical therapy of intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma]

Impact of Preoperative Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Cholangiography on Postoperative Resection Margin Status in Patients Operated due to Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to analyse the value of 3-dimensional computed tomography cholangiography (3D-ERC) compared to conventional retrograde cholangiography in the preoperative diagnosis of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC) with special regard to the resection margin status (R0/R1).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All hepatic resections performed between January 2011 and November 2013 in patients with HC at the Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery of the RWTH Aachen University Hospital were analysed. All patients underwent an ERC and contrast-enhanced multiphase CT scan or a 3D-ERC.

RESULTS

The patient collective was divided into two groups (group ERC: n = 17 and group 3D-ERC: n = 16). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with regard to patient characteristics or intraoperative data. Curative liver resection with R0 status was reached in 88% of patients in group ERC and 87% of patients in group 3D-ERC (p = 1.00). We could not observe any differences with regard to postoperative complications, hospital stay, and mortality rate between both groups.

CONCLUSION

Based on our findings, preoperative imaging with 3D-ERC has no benefit for operative planning and R0 resection status. It cannot replace the exploration by an experienced surgeon in a centre for hepatobiliary surgery.

Gross pathological classification of peripheral cholangiocarcinoma determines the efficacy of hepatectomy

BACKGROUND

Peripheral cholangiocarcinoma (PCC) can be grossly classified as mass-forming (MF), periductal-infiltrating (PI), and intraductal papillary (IP) types. IP-PCC should be distinguished from other types of PCC because patients with IP-PCC have a more favorable prognosis. We hypothesized that gross pathological classification of non-IP-PCC could determine the efficacy of hepatectomy.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 224 histologically proven PCCs (including 172 PCCs from patients having non-IP type tumors) from patients who underwent hepatectomy between 1977 and 2007. Non-IP-PCCs were further classified as MF, MF mixed with PI (MF-PI), and PI for comparison.

RESULTS

Of the 224 patients with PCC, 52 had IP-PCC (23.2 %), and 172 had non-IP-PCC (76.8 %). One hundred one of the 172 non-IP-PCC patients had a curative resection (curative resection rate 58.7 %). The follow-up duration ranged from 1.1 to 193.1 months (median 13.4 months). Overall survival (OS) rates for the non-IP-PCC patients at 1 and 5 years were 58.4 and 15.1 %, respectively. Absence of symptoms, lower alkaline phosphatase levels, normal carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and presence of MF-type PCC independently and favorably affected OS for the non-IP-PCC patients following hepatectomy. Independent factors favorably predicting OS for the MF-PCC patients were the absence of symptoms, hepatolithiasis, normal CEA levels, successful curative hepatectomy, and negative lymph node metastasis, while for the MF-PI-PCC patients following hepatectomy, one independent factor, successful curative hepatectomy, favorably predicted OS. For the PI-PCC patients, the independent factors favorably predicting OS were normal albumin levels and negative lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important to correctly differentiate between the gross pathological classifications of non-IP-PCC because of their distinct characteristics and outcomes following hepatectomy. Correct gross pathological classification is essential for further translational investigations.

Diagnosis and cure experience of hepatolithiasis-associated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in 66 patients

BACKGROUND

The management of hepatolithiasis combined with intrahepatic cholangicarcinoma (IHHCC) remains a challenge due to poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to summarize our diagnosis and cure experience of IHHCC over the recent 10 years.

METHODS

From January 1996 to January 2006, 66 patients with IHHCC were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Of the 66 patients, 52 underwent surgical resection (radical resection in 38 and palliative in 14) and 8 patients abdominal exploration, while the other 6 cases received endoscopic retrograde biliary internal drainage and stent implantation. In this series, correct diagnosis of advanced stage was made during operation in 8 cases (8/60, 13.3%) and all of them (underwent unnecessary abdominal exploration, among them the positive rate of CA19-9 was 100%, and the positive rate of CEA was 87.6% (7/8), incidence rate of ascites was 100% and short-term significant weight loss was 100%, with median overall survival of only 4 months.

CONCLUSION

Radical resection is mandatory for IHHCC patient to achieve long-term survival, the CT and MR imaging features of IHHCC being concentric enhancement. Patients with IHHCC have significant higher CA199 and significant higher CEA and short-term significant weight loss and ascites should be considered with advanced stage of IHHCC and unnecessary non-therapeutic laparotomies should be avoided.

Sonography-guided percutaneous microwave ablation of intrahepatic primary cholangiocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sonography-guided percutaneous microwave ablation of intrahepatic primary cholangiocarcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From May 2006 to March 2010, 15 patients (11 men, 4 women; mean age, 57.4 years) with 24 histologically proven intrahepatic primary cholangiocarcinoma lesions (mean tumor size, 3.2±1.9 cm; range, 1.3-9.9 cm) were treated with microwave ablation.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight sessions were performed for 24 nodules in 15 patients. The follow-up period was 4-31 months (mean, 12.8±8.0 months). The ablation success rate, the technique effectiveness rate, and the local tumor progression rate were 91.7% (22/24), 87.5% (21/24), and 25% (6/24) respectively according to the results of follow-up. The cumulative overall 6, 12, 24 month survival rates were 78.8%, 60.0%, and 60.0%, respectively. Major complication occurred including liver abscess in two patients (13.3%) and needle seeding in one patient (6.7%). Both complications were cured satisfied with antibiotic treatment combined to catheter drainage for abscess and resection for needle seeding. The minor complications and side effects were experienced by most patients which subsided with supportive treatment.

CONCLUSION

Microwave ablation can be used as a safe and effective technique to treat intrahepatic primary cholangiocarcinoma.

Clinicopathological and prognostic analysis of 429 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

AIM: To understand the clinicopathological characteristics and treatment selections and improve survival and provide valuable information for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 5311 liver cancer patients who received resection between October 1999 and December 2003. Of these, 429 (8.1%) patients were diagnosed with ICC, and their clinicopathological, surgical, and survival characteristics were analyzed.

RESULTS: Upper abdominal discomfort or pain (65.0%), no symptoms (12.1%), and hypodynamia (8.2%) were the major causes for medical attention. Laboratory tests showed 198 (46.4%) patients were HBsAg positive, 90 (21.3%) had α-fetoprotein > 20 μg/L, 50 (11.9%) carcinoembryonic antigen > 10 μg/L, and 242 (57.5%) carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) > 37 U/mL. Survival data was available for 329 (76.7%) patients and their mean survival time was 12.4 mo. The overall survival of the patients with R0, R1 resection and punching exploration were 18.3, 6.6 and 5.6 mo, respectively. Additionally, CA19-9 > 37 U/mL was associated with lymph node metastases, but inversely associated with cirrhosis. Multivariate analysis indicated that radical resection, lymph node metastases, macroscopic tumor thrombi and size, and CA19-9 were associated with prognosis.

CONCLUSION: Surgical radical resection is still the most effective means to cure ICC. Certain laboratory tests (such as CA19-9) can effectively predict the survival of the patients with ICC.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: prognostic factors after surgical resection

BACKGROUND

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary liver tumor. The resectability rate is low because at the time of diagnosis this disease is frequently beyond the limits of surgical therapy. Curative resection (R0) is the most effective treatment and the only therapy associated with prolonged disease-free survival. Based on the gross appearance of the tumor the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan (LCSGJ) defined three types: mass-forming type (MF), periductal infiltrating type (PI), intraductal growth (IG) type. The prognostic significance of gross type has been demonstrated in Eastern countries, but this issue has not been clarified in Western countries. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic factors for survival in a group of patients submitted to surgical resection for ICC.

METHODS

Between 1990 and 2007 a total of 81 consecutive patients with ICC were submitted to surgery. Patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, extensive vascular involvement, or multiple intrahepatic metastases were excluded from surgical resection. Tumors were classified according to TMN stage (6th edition, 2002) and LCSGJ gross type classification. Tumor gross appearance on the cut surface was categorized into the following types according to the classification proposed by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan: MF, PI, or IG type.

RESULTS

During the study period 52 patients were submitted to surgical resection with curative intent, whereas in 29 patients surgery was limited to explorative laparotomy. Curative resection (R0) was achieved in 43 patients (83%); and a major hepatic resection was performed in 63% (33/52) of the patients. Extrahepatic bile duct resection was carried out in 36% (19/52) of cases. According to the LCSGJ classification, the MF type was present in 34 patients (65%), the MF + PI type in 13 (25%), the PI type in 3 (6%), and the IG type in 2 (4%). Overall median survival time was 40 months, with a 1-, 3-, and 5-year actuarial survival rates of 83%, 50%, 20%, respectively. Survival was significantly related to the macroscopic gross type, with a median survival of 50 months for patients with the MF type, 19 months for the MF + PI type, 15 months for the PI type, and 17 months for the IG type. At univariate analysis, the macroscopic gross appearance of the tumor, the presence of lymph node metastasis, involvement of extrahepatic bile ducts, the presence of macroscopic vascular invasion, and positive resection margins were significant related to survival. At multivariate analysis, macroscopic vascular invasion and lymph nodes metastases were significant related to survival with hazard ratios of 4.11 and 2.79, respectively. Further statistical analyses were carried out to identify the relation between macroscopic gross type and prognosis. We identified that the MF + PI type tumors were significantly associated with negative prognostic factors, such as the involvement of extrahepatic bile ducts, the presence of lymph nodes metastases, the presence of macroscopic vascular invasion, the presence of perineural invasion, and higher T stage.

CONCLUSIONS

Curative resection of ICC is the only therapy that can achieve long-term survival. The best results were observed in patients who underwent R0 resection for MF tumors without lymph node metastases or vascular invasion. Important predictive factors related to poor survival are MF + PI macroscopic tumor type, lymph node metastases, and vascular invasion. In these patients, other therapeutic approaches (i.e., adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy) should be evaluated to improve results.

Liver transplantation as a primary indication for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a single-center experience

BACKGROUND

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is not a widely accepted indication for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The present study describes our institutional experience with patients who underwent transplantation for ICC as well as those with ICC who underwent transplantation with the incorrect diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data corresponding to ICC patients were reviewed for the purposes of this study. Patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma and incidentally found ICC after OLT for benign diseases were excluded from further consideration.

RESULTS

Among the 10 patients, 6 underwent transplantation before 1996 and 4 after 2001. Those who underwent transplantation in the early period had a preoperative diagnosis of inoperable ICC (n = 4) and ICC in the setting of primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 2). In the latter period the subjects had a diagnosis of HCC in cirrhosis (n = 3) or recurrent ICC after an extended right hepatectomy (n = 1). Median survival was 25.3 months for the whole series and 32.2 months (range, 18-130 months) when hospital mortality was excluded (n = 3). Four patients are currently alive after 30, 35, 42, and 130 months post-OLT, respectively. Two patients died of tumor recurrence at 18 and 21 months post-OLT, respectively. One-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 70%, 50%, and 33%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The role of OLT in the setting of ICC may be re-evaluated in the future under strict selection criteria and with prospective multicenter randomized studies. Potential candidates to be included are those with liver cirrhosis and no hilar involvement who meet the Milan criteria for HCC.

Operations for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: single-institution experience of 158 patients

BACKGROUND

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare primary liver malignancy. Until now, outcomes and prognostic factors after liver resection for these tumors have not been well-documented.

STUDY DESIGN

Between April 1998 and December 2006, a total of 158 patients underwent surgical exploration in our institution for intended liver resection of ICC. Prospectively collected data of patients undergoing liver resection (n = 83) were analyzed with regard to preoperative findings, operative details, perioperative morbidity and mortality, pathologic findings, outcomes measured by tumor recurrence and survival, and prognostic factors for outcomes.

RESULTS

Tumors were solitary in 47 patients. R0 resections were achieved in 53 patients. Vascular infiltration and lymph node metastasis were detected in 41% and 34%, respectively. After resection, the calculated 1-, 3-, and 5-year-survival rates were 71%, 38%, and 21%, respectively, with corresponding rates of 83%, 50%, and 30% in R0 resections. For 14 variables evaluated, only gender (p = 0.008), Union Internationale Contre le Cancer stage (p = 0.014), and R classification (p = 0.001) showed predictive value in the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression.

CONCLUSIONS

Results presented outline that an R0 resection leads to substantially prolonged survival in ICC and represents the considerable input of the surgeon to the outcomes of these patients. Union Internationale Contre le Cancer stage remains an important factor.

Guidelines for palliative surgery of cholangiocarcinoma

The aims of the guidelines are to help assess the evidence for palliation surgery in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The guidelines are classified in accordance with the location of the primary lesion, i.e. intrahepatic, hilar, and distal. They are based on comprehensive literature surveys, including results from randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, and cohort, prospective, and retrospective studies. Intrahepatic CCA, i.e. resection of lymph-node-positive tumors and R1/R2 resections have not been shown to provide survival benefit: Evidence levels: 2b, 4; Recommendation grade C. Hilar CCA: R1 resection is justified as a very efficient palliation. Non-surgical biliary stenting is the first choice of palliative biliary drainage. Distal CCA: Resection of lymph-node-positive tumours and R1/R2 resections should be performed. Non-surgical stenting is regarded as the first choice of palliation for patients with short life expectancy. For patients with longer projected survival, surgical bypass should be considered. Palliative resections have a relevant beneficial impact on the outcome of patients with distal and hilar CCA. Non-surgical stenting is the first choice of palliative biliary drainage for patients with hilar CCA and for those with distal CCA and short life expectancy. For patients with distal CCA and longer projected survival, surgical bypass should be considered.

[Liver resection and transplantation for hepatic tumors]

Hepatic surgery has made substantial advances in the last two decades due to technical developments and improvements in perioperative management. This has reduced surgery dependent mortality to less than 5%, and provides the possibility of carrying out more substantial hepatic resections and to interpret the indications more liberally, also for tumours localized unfavorably. A widely standardized surgical technique as well as new possibilities for organ conservation and, in particular, immunosuppression mean that given suitable indications, liver transplantation is today regarded as a routine procedure for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. This work provides an overview of the current status of surgical therapy for the most frequent, benign liver tumours, as well as for hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma.

GNAS1 T393C polymorphism is associated with clinical course in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The GNAS1 locus encodes the Galphas protein, which stimulates the formation of cyclo-adenosinemonophosphate (cAMP). The cAMP pathway mediates pleiotropic effects, including the regulation of apoptosis and proliferation. We have recently shown that TT genotypes of the single-nucleotide polymorphism T393C in the gene GNAS1 predict the clinical outcome of patients with various carcinomas.

METHODS

Eighty-seven patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) were retrospectively genotyped to elucidate a potential association between T393C genotypes and clinical outcome.

RESULTS

ICCs of patients with homozygous TT genotypes revealed a higher proliferation rate and a lower apoptotic rate. Homozygous TT patients were at highest risk for cancer-related deaths (hazard ratio = 2.74; 95% confidence interval = 1.03-7.28) compared with C-allele carriers. Kaplan-Meier curves for disease-specific overall and local recurrence-free survival in a subgroup with R(0)-resected ICC showed a significant association of T393 homozygosity with outcome, which was confirmed in multivariate Cox regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

GNAS1 T393C is a novel independent host factor for disease progression in patients with ICC. Our finding that TT homozygosity (and not CC homozygosity) was associated with unfavorable clinical outcome points to the complex and differing functional effects induced by GNAS1 T393C polymorphism in various human carcinomas.