Prognostic value of retrieved lymph node counts in patients with node-negative perihilar cholangiocarcinomas

Robotic approach for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: from Bismuth 1 to vascular resection

BACKGROUND

Implementation of minimally invasive surgical approaches for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) has been relatively slow compared to other indications. This is due to the complexity of the disease and the need of advanced skills for the reconstructive phase. The robot may contribute to close the gap between open and minimally invasive surgery in patients with Klastkin tumors.

STUDY DESIGN

We report details of our experience with robotic approach in patients affected by pCCA. In particular selection criteria, ERAS management, technical tips and robotic setup are discussed. Finally, results from our cohort are reported. A video clip of a patient that underwent left hepatectomy with en-bloc caudatectomy and portal vein resection at the confluence with end-to-end reconstruction for a pCCA 3-b according to Bismuth-Corlette classification with full robotic approach is enclosed.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients underwent robotic resection of pCCA over the three-year interval with a median follow-up interval of 18.7 months. The pre-operative Bismuth-Corlette classification was 1 for two patients (14.2%) and 2 for one patient (7.1%), 3-a for three (21.4%) patients, 3-b for four (28.6%) patients and 4 for four (28.6%) patients. Median estimated blood loss was 150 ml (range 50-800 ml) and median operative time was 490 min (range 390-750 min). The median length of hospital stay after the index operation was 6 days (range 3-91). Final histology revealed a median of 19 (range 11-40) lymph nodes retrieved, with 92.9% R0 resections. 90-days mortality was nihil and 3-year survival exceeds 50%.

CONCLUSION

With adequate preparation, outcomes of robotic approach to pCCA can be safe and in line with the current international benchmark outcomes, as showed in this study, when performed in expert high volume centers for complex major hepatectomy and robotic HPB.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Inflammation Gene Signature in Indicating Cholangiocarcinoma Prognosis

Aim. We studied inflammatory response-related genes in cholangiocarcinoma by bioinformatics analysis. Methods. The expression profiles and clinical information of cholangiocarcinoma patients were downloaded from the TCGA cohort and the Gene Expression Omnibus. The greatest absolute shrinking and selecting operator Cox analyses were utilized to build a multigene predictive signature. Results. An inflammation response-related gene profile was generated using LASSO-Cox regression analysis of Homo sapiens bestrophin 1 (BEST1), Chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and plasminogen activator, urokinase receptor (PLAUR). Individuals in the highest category had a significantly lower overall survival time than those from the low-risk group. A receiver operating curve analysis was used to demonstrate the predictive ability of the predictive gene signature. Through multivariate Cox analysis, the risk score was discovered to be a predictor of overall survival (OS). According to functional assessments, the immunological state and milieu of the two risk areas were significantly different. The expression levels of predictive genes were found to be strongly linked to the sensitivity of cancer cells to antitumor therapy. Conclusion. A new signature made up of three respective response-relevant genes is found to be a promising indicator of prognosis by influencing the immune condition and tumor microenvironment.

Systematic review of perioperative and oncologic outcomes of minimally-invasive surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma

Most surgeons have traditionally been reluctant toward minimally-invasive surgery for bile duct tumors. This study aimed to perform a systematic literature review on perioperative and oncologic results of pure laparoscopic and robotic curative-intent surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. According to the PRISMA statement, a systematic review was conducted into Pubmed, EMBASE and Cochrane. A critical appraisal of study was performed according to the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Nineteen studies (12 on pure laparoscopy and 7 on robotics) were included: 7 case reports, 9 case series, 3 case-control (193 patients). The pooled conversion, morbidity, biliary leak and mortality rates were 5.5%, 43%, 16.4% and 4%. The weighted mean of operative time, blood loss and postoperative stay were 388 min, 446 mL and 14 days. For pure laparoscopy, the pooled R0 rate was 86%; overall survival and disease-free survival rates ranged from 85 to 100% and from 80 to 100% (median observation time 6-18 months). For robotic surgeries, the pooled R0 rate was 69% and overall survival rates ranged from 90 to 100% (median observation time 5-15 months). Case reports were overall of high quality, case series of moderate / high-quality, case-control studies ranged from low to high quality. In selected patients, minimally-invasive surgery for Klatskin tumors appears feasible, safe, satisfactory for perioperative outcomes and adequate for oncologic results. However, the results are based on few studies, limited in patient numbers and with allocation criteria more restrictive than open, reporting short follow-up and mainly with non-comparative design: evidence of higher quality is recommended.

Surgical outcomes of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma based on the learning curve of a single surgeon at a tertiary academic hospital: A retrospective study

Backgrounds/Aims

Although it is difficult to master the surgical learning curve for treatment of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA), there have been no studies on surgical outcomes between a novice and an experienced surgeon. Thus, the current study attempted to evaluate surgical outcomes from a single surgeon based on learning curve for surgical treatment of HCCA.

Methods

From January 2008 to December 2016, a single surgeon performed surgical treatment for 108 patients with HCCA at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Among them, 101 patients with curative surgical resection were included in this study. The learning curve was assessed by a moving average graph and CUSUM method using operation time. Surgical outcomes between the early period group (EPG) and the late period group (LPG) were compared according to learning curve.

Results

Operation time (603.17±117.59 and 432.03±91.77 minutes; p<0.001), amount of bleeding during operation (1127.86±689.54 and 613.05±548.31 ml; p<0.001), and severe complication rates (47.6% and 27.1%, p=0.034) were significantly smaller in the LPG. There was no significant difference in R0 resection rate (85.7% and 76.3%; p=0.241) as well as long-term survival rate.

Conclusions

In this study, operation time, amount of bleeding during operation, length of hospital stay, and severe complication rate were improved after stabilization of the learning curve. However, R0 resection rate and survival outcomes were not significantly influenced by the learning curve for surgical treatment of HCCA.

Prognostic Relevance of the Eighth Edition of TNM Classification for Resected Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES

In our study, we evaluated and compared the prognostic value and performance of the 6th, 7th, and 8th editions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system in patients undergoing surgery for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC).

METHODS

Patients undergoing liver surgery with curative intention for PHC between 2002 and 2019 were identified from a prospective database. Histopathological parameters and stage of the PHC were assessed according to the 6th, 7th, and 8th editions of the tumor node metastasis (TNM) classification. The prognostic accuracy between staging systems was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) model.

RESULTS

Data for a total of 95 patients undergoing liver resection for PHC were analyzed. The median overall survival time was 21 months (95% CI 8.1-33.9), and the three- and five-year survival rates were 46.1% and 36.2%, respectively. Staging according to the 8th edition vs. the 7th edition resulted in the reclassification of 25 patients (26.3%). The log-rank p-values for the 7th and 8th editions were highly statistically significant (p ≤ 0.01) compared to the 6th edition (p = 0.035). The AJCC 8th edition staging system showed a trend to better discrimination, with an AUC of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.52-0.84) compared to 0.61 (95% CI: 0.51-0.73) for the 7th edition. Multivariate survival analysis revealed male gender, age >65 years, positive resection margins, presence of distant metastases, poorly tumor differentiation, and lymph node involvement, such as no caudate lobe resection, as independent predictors of poor survival (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In the current study, the newly released 8th edition of AJCC staging system showed no significant benefit compared to the previous 7th edition in predicting the prognosis of patients undergoing liver resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. Further research may help to improve the prognostic value of the AJCC staging system for PHC-for instance, by identifying new prognostic markers or staging criteria, which may improve that individual patient's outcome.