Impact of adjuvant chemoradiation on survival in patients with resectable cholangiocarcinoma

American Radium Society (ARS) Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Although uncommon, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC) is a deadly malignancy, and the treatment approaches remain controversial. While surgery remains the only cure, few patients are candidates for resection up front, and there are high rates of both local and distant failure following resection. Herein, we systematically review the available evidence regarding treatment approaches for patients with EHCC, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The evidence regarding treatment outcomes was assessed using the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study design (PICOS) framework. A summary of recommendations based on the available literature is outlined for specific clinical scenarios encountered by providers in the clinic to guide the management of these patients.

Prognostic markers including immune and inflammatory factors predict outcomes in patients receiving postoperative radiation therapy for cholangiocarcinoma

PURPOSE

This study aimed to analyze treatment outcomes and prognostic markers, including immune and inflammatory factors, of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) administered to patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

METHODS

We retrospectively included 59 patients with CCA who underwent surgery and postoperative RT with curative intent from 2004 to 2019. Patients received external irradiation (50 Gy in 25 fractions) using three-dimensional RT. We analyzed prognostic factors of inflammation, such as pre-RT platelet count, hemoglobin, lymphocyte count ratio (LCR) of the leukocyte count, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

RESULTS

Tumor stages were distributed as follows: I (n = 8), II (n = 25), III (n = 15), and IVA (n = 11). The median follow-up was 24 months. Two-year overall survival (OS), cause-specific survival (CSS), progression-free survival (PFS), and locoregional control (LRC) rates were 59.5%, 62.0%, 40.1%, and 66.7%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that lower LCR was significantly associated with shorter PFS (p = 0.0446). There was no significant difference between the median baseline values of PLR and NLR; and age ≥75, positive regional lymph node metastases (N+), and chemotherapy after RT were significantly associated with poor OS. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association of N+ with worse OS, PFS, and CSS and that lower LCR was significantly associated with better PFS (p = 0.0234). Among late toxicity events, two patients (3.38%) were suspected with therapy-related liver toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower LCR before RT was a better prognostic factor for postoperative RT of patients with CCA.

Clinical efficacy of adjuvant treatments for patients with resected biliary tract cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the benefits of adjuvant therapy in patients with resected biliary tract cancer (BTC) and identify the optimal adjuvant treatment scheme.

DESIGN

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Studies comparing different adjuvant therapies in patients with BTC were searched in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and ClinicalTrials.gov databases from inception to December 2021. Additionally, the references were manually searched for the related literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eligible studies were identified, and data were extracted independently by two authors. A random-effects network meta-analysis was performed using R software. The pooled outcomes of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were measured using the combined HRs with 95% CIs.

RESULTS

Nineteen eligible studies reporting three types of adjuvant therapies were included in our network meta-analysis. Adjuvant radiotherapy (ART, HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.93), adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (ACRT; HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.54 to 0.83) and adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT; HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.68 to 0.98) were more effective in prolonging OS than that of observation, with no significant difference between the three adjuvant therapies. Moreover, the improvement in DFS was also found in ACRT and ACT compared with that of observation (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.75; HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.68 to 0.97, respectively). Furthermore, ACRT obtained a slightly better DFS benefit compared with that of ACT (HR 0.73; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.95).

CONCLUSIONS

Our primary results demonstrated that, compared with that of observation, ACRT and ACT after radical resection could provide better OS and DFS benefits in patients with BTC. However, ART only showed improvement in OS, but not in DFS. Due to the lack of head-to-head studies of ACT, ACRT and ART, the above results need to be further verified by prospective randomised controlled trials.

Adjuvant Therapy for Resectable Biliary Tract Cancer: A Bayesian Network Analysis

Background: Selecting proper postoperative adjuvant therapy is of great importance for prolonging overall survival (OS) of patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC). OS is commonly affected by high rate of postoperative recurrence and metastasis. Purpose: The present study aimed to identify the optimal adjuvant therapy for BTC patients. Method: A comprehensive search was carried out on Pubmed, Web of science, and Embase databases to acquire articles regarding BTC therapy approaches. Subsequently, the hazard ratio (HR) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to evaluate the efficacy of different adjuvant therapy regimens. The GemTc (GemTc.0.8-2) and R (R.3.6.0) software were employed to perform statistical analyses. Result: Data from 22 articles, including 14,646 patients, were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that in terms of 5-year OS, gemcitabine (GEM) was considered as the optimal adjuvant therapy for BTC compared with chemoradiotherapy (CRT; HR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.34-0.97), observation (OB; HR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.33-0.73), and radiotherapy (RT; HR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.22-0.71). Additionally, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) exhibited improved efficacy compared with RT (HR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.29-0.91) and OB (HR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.43-0.92). When the efficacy of 5-FU was compared with that of GEM, the results showed that 5-FU (HR = 1.29) was more effective than GEM. Furthermore, CRT and RT prolonged positive resection margin (R⁺)-OS (HR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.49-1.00) and positive lymph node-(N⁺)-OS (HR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.074-0.66) in BTC patients. In terms of median recurrence-free survival (RFS) and 1-year OS, the differences were not statistically significant among different therapeutic interventions. Conclusion: The present study suggested that GEM could be used as a first-line adjuvant therapy for resected BTC patients. Additionally, CRT could be the optimal treatment approach for R⁺ and N⁺ patients.

The Evolving Role of Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancer

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a disease entity comprising diverse epithelial tumors, which are categorized according to their anatomical location as intrahepatic (iCCA), perihilar (pCCA), distal (dCCA) cholangiocarcinomas, and gallbladder carcinomas (GBC), with distinct epidemiology, biology, and prognosis. Complete surgical resection is the mainstay in operable BTC as it is the only potentially curative treatment option. Nevertheless, even after curative (R0) resection, the 5-year survival rate ranges between 20 and 40% and the disease free survival rates (DFS) is approximately 48–65% after one year and 23–35% after three years without adjuvant treatment. Improvements in adjuvant chemotherapy have improved the DFS, but the role of adjuvant radiotherapy is unclear. On the other hand, more than 50% of the patients present with unresectable disease at the time of diagnosis, which limits the prognosis to a few months without treatment. Herein, we review the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma in the curative and palliative setting.

The role of extracellular vesicles in cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare tumor that arises from cholangiocytes, the epithelial cells of the bile duct. The tumor is characterized by insidious onset, high degree of malignancy, poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. Due to the lack of specific biomarkers, it is difficult to diagnose CCA early and evaluate prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which include apoptotic bodies, microvesicles and exosomes, have emerged as having important roles in cell-to-cell communication in both normal physiology and pathological conditions. Some research has found that EVs play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of CCA. EVs can carry specific molecular substances such as nucleic acids and proteins, which have potential for the diagnosis and therapy of CCA. This article reviews the current knowledge on the role of EVs in CCA. We highlight EVs and their functions in the physiology and pathophysiology of CCA, and discuss their therapeutic potential and their role as biomarkers.

Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for positive hepatic ductal margin on cholangiocarcinoma

AIM

This study evaluated the effects of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (A-CRT) for positive hepatic ductal margin (HM+) in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC).

METHODS

Patients with EHCC who underwent surgical resection between 2002 and 2014 were included in this retrospective study. For patients with HM+, A-CRT was conducted. The clinical effect of A-CRT for HM+ on the survival and recurrence and prognostic factors of EHCC was reviewed.

RESULTS

Among 340 patients, the hepatic ductal margin was negative in 296 and positive in 44. Of the 44 patients with HM+, 22 received postoperative A-CRT, and 22 did not. Hepatic stump recurrence occurred in 19 patients. The incidence was significantly higher in patients with HM+ (20%, 9/44) than in those with negative hepatic ductal margin (HM-) (3%, 10/296) (P < .001). Among the patients with HM+, the incidence was almost identical between the patients with and without A-CRT: 23% (5/22) in HM+/CRT- and 18% (4/22) in HM+/CRT+ patients (P = .999). The median survival time was 49 months in HM-, 43 months in HM+/CRT-, and 49 months in HM+/CRT+ patients. The differences were not significant among the groups. A multivariate analysis revealed CA 19-9 ≥ 300 U/mL, combined vascular resection, histologic grade G2/G3, and lymph node metastasis to be significant prognostic factors. However, the performance of postoperative A-CRT did not contribute to prolonging survival.

CONCLUSION

A-CRT for HM+ in patients with EHCC did not affect the survival or stump recurrence.

Outcome of postoperative radiation therapy for cholangiocarcinoma and analysis of dose-volume histogram of remnant liver

The aim of this study was to analyze dose-volume histogram (DVH) of the remnant liver for postoperative cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients, to find toxicity rates, and to confirm efficacy of postoperative radiation therapy (RT).Thirty-two postoperative CCA patients received partial liver resection and postoperative RT with curative intent. The "liver reduction rate" was calculated by contouring liver volume at computed tomography (CT) just before the surgery and at CT for planning the RT. To evaluate late toxicity, the radiation-induced hepatic toxicity (RIHT) was determined by the common terminology criteria for adverse events toxicity grade of bilirubin, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin, and was defined from 3 months after RT until liver metastasis was revealed. The radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) was also evaluated.Tumor stages were distributed as follows: I: 1, II: 8, IIIA: 1, IIIB: 6, IIIC: 14, IVA: 2. Median prescribed total dose was 50 Gy. Median follow-up time was 27 months. Two-year overall survival (OS): 72.4%, disease-free survival: 47.7%, local control: 65.3%, and the median survival time was 40 months. The median "liver reduction rate" was 21%. The OS had statistically significant difference in nodal status (P = .032) and "liver reduction rate" >30% (P = .016). In the association between the ≥grade 2 RIHT and DVH, there were significantly differences in V30 and V40 (P = .041, P = .034), respectively. The grade ≥2 RIHT rates differ also significantly by sex (P = .008). Two patients (6.2%) were suspected of RILD.We suggest that RT for remnant liver should be considered the liver V30, V40 to prevent radiation-induced liver dysfunction.

The role of preoperative therapy prior to pancreatoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Although increasingly administered to patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the role of preoperative therapy for patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma is undefined.

METHODS

All patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy between 1999 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Differences in clinicopathologic characteristics and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients who underwent surgery de novo and those who received preoperative therapy.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients (46.7%) received preoperative therapy and 24 (53.3%) did not. Five-year OS rates were not statistically significantly different between patients who received preoperative therapy and those who did not (46.6% vs 49.1%, p > 0.05). On multivariate cox proportional hazards analysis, lymph node positivity was the strongest predictor of OS (HR 4.68 (95%CI 1.52-14.42)). Whereas preoperative therapy was not associated with improved OS (HR 1.06 (95%CI 0.42-2.66)), the receipt of either pre- or post-operative therapy was (HR 0.40 (95%CI 0.16-1.00)).

CONCLUSION

While these results do not support the routine administration of preoperative therapy to patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma, it may be an alternative treatment strategy appropriate for a subset of patients with high risk clinical or pathologic features.

Adjuvant treatment of resectable biliary tract cancer with cisplatin plus gemcitabine: A prospective single center phase II study

Background

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a dismal disease, even after curative intent surgery. We conducted this prospective, non-randomized phase II study to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of cisplatin and gemcitabine as adjuvant treatment in patients with resected BTC.

Methods

Patients initially received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m² alone on days 1, 8 and 15 every 28-days for a total of six cycles (single agent cohort), and after protocol amendment a combination therapy with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m² and cisplatin 25 mg/m² on days 1 and 8 was administered every 21 days for a total of eight cycles (combined regimen cohort). Treatment was planned to start within eight weeks after curative intent resection. Adverse events, disease-free survival and overall survival were assessed.

Results

Overall 30 patients were enrolled in the study from August 2008 and last patient was enrolled at 2nd December 2014. The follow-up of the patients ended at 31st December 2016. The first 9 patients received single-agent gemcitabine. The interim analysis met the predefined feasibility criteria and, from September 2010 on, the second group of 21 patients received the combination of cisplatin plus gemcitabine. In the single-agent cohort with gemcitabine the median relative dose intensity (RDI) was 100% (IQR 88.3–100). Patients treated with the combination cisplatin-gemcitabine received an overall median RDI of 100% (IQR 50–100) for cisplatin and 100% (IQR 75–100) for gemcitabine respectively. The most significant non-hematological adverse events (grade 3 or 4) were fatigue (20%), infections during neutropenia (10%), and two cases of biliary sepsis (7%). Abnormal liver function was seen in 10% of the patients. One patient died due to infectious complications during treatment with cisplatin and gemcitabine. The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 14.9 months (95% CI 0–33.8) with a corresponding 3-year DFS of 43.1 ± 9.1%. The median overall survival (OS) was 40.6 months (95% CI 18.8–62.3) with a 3-year OS of 55.7 ± 9.2%. No statistically significant differences in survival were seen between the two treatment cohorts.

Conclusion

Adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine with or without cisplatin was well tolerated and resulted in promising survival of the patients.

Trial registration

The study was retrospectively registered on 25th June 2009 at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01073839).

miRNA profiling for diagnosis, prognosis and stratification of cancer treatment in cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a lethal malignancy originating from the biliary tract epithelium. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Even after resection with curative intent, prognosis remains poor. Previous studies have reported the evolving role of miRNAs as novel biomarkers in cancer diagnosis, prognostication and chemotherapy response. Various miRNAs, such as miR-21, miR-26, miR-122 and miR-150, have been identified as possible blood-based biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis of CCA. Moreover, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)- and angiogenesis-associated miRNAs have been implicated in tumor cell dissemination and are able to determine clinical outcome. In fact, miRNAs involved in cell survival might even determine chemotherapy response. This review provides an overview of known miRNAs as CCA-specific biomarkers.