Sex-specific and race/ethnicity-specific disparities in cholangiocarcinoma incidence and prevalence in the USA: An updated analysis of the 2000-2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry

AIM

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an uncommon but lethal malignancy with an increasing worldwide incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), but decreasing incidence of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). To evaluate age-specific, sex-specific, race/ethnicity-specific variations in CCA incidence in the USA.

METHODS

Using population-based cancer registry data from the 2000-2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry, we retrospectively evaluated age-specific, sex-specific, race/ethnicity-specific variations in incidence and prevalence of CCA stratified by ICC and ECC subtypes among adults in the USA.

RESULTS

A total of 11 296 patients with ICC and 8672 patients with ECC were identified. ICC incidence was significantly higher than ECC incidence (1.6 vs 1.3 per 100 000/year, P < 0.01). Among all race/ethnic groups and among both ICC and ECC, Asians had the highest cancer incidence. When stratified by age, CCA incidence increased with age among all groups; however, the rising incidence was most rapid among Asians. For example, among patients aged 80 years and over, the incidence of ICC among Asians was nearly twice the incidence among non-Hispanic whites (13.8 vs 7.2 per 100 000/year). Overall, CCA incidence was higher among men compared with women, and with increasing age, this sex-specific disparity was more pronounced. For example, among patients aged 80 years and over, the incidence of ICC was 9.8 per 100 000/year among men and 6.9 per 100 000/year among women.

CONCLUSION

Among adults with CCA in the USA, increasing age was associated with increasing incidence of CCA. In addition, sex-specific and race/ethnicity-specific disparities were seen with the highest incidence of CCA among men and among Asians.

Improved post-transplant survival in the United States for patients with cholangiocarcinoma after 2000

BACKGROUND

The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) continues to rise. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) can be used for selected patients with localized but unresectable hilar CCA. Although initial post-OLT survival rates were poor, outcomes after introduction of the Mayo Clinic protocol have been more promising and there has been increased interest in OLT for CCA nationally.

AIMS

The aim of this study is to determine post-transplant survival and prognostic factors for patients undergoing OLT for CCA.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of all patients with CCA listed nationwide for OLT between October 1987 and May 2008 was performed using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank test.

RESULTS

Of 595 patients with CCA listed for OLT, 359 (60.3 %) underwent OLT. Median age at OLT was 49 years, 66 % were male and 91 % were Caucasian. The median follow-up time was 2 years. There has been an increasing number of liver transplants performed for CCA since 2000. The 1- and 5-year probability of survival was 85.8 and 51.4 %, respectively. On multivariate analysis, significant prognostic factors for decreased post-OLT survival included transplant before 2000 (HR 11.25, 95 % CI 1.28-98.7) and acute cellular rejection (HR 5.64, 95 % CI 1.14-27.8).

CONCLUSIONS

Survival after transplant for CCA has improved over time, and OLT is being used more frequently in the treatment of CCA. Significant predictors of post-OLT survival include a history of acute rejection and date of transplant in relation to the publication of Mayo protocol results.

Neoadjuvant stereotactic body radiation therapy, capecitabine, and liver transplantation for unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a difficult malignancy to treat surgically because of its anatomical location and its frequent association with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by liver transplantation in lymph node-negative patients has been advanced by select liver transplant centers for the treatment of patients with unresectable disease. This approach has most commonly used external-beam radiotherapy in combination with biliary brachytherapy and 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. Our center recently embarked on a protocol using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) followed by capecitabine in lymph node-negative patients until liver transplantation. We, therefore, retrospectively determined the tolerability and pathological response in this pilot study. During a 3-year period, 17 patients with unresectable hilar CCA were evaluated for treatment under this protocol. In all, 12 patients qualified for neoadjuvant therapy and were treated with SBRT (50-60 Gy in 3-5 fractions over the course of 2 weeks). After 1 week of rest, capecitabine was initiated at 1330 mg/m(2) /day, and it was continued until liver transplantation. During neoadjuvant therapy, there were 35 adverse events in all, with cholangitis and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia being the most common. Capecitabine dose reductions were required on 5 occasions. Ultimately, 9 patients were listed for transplantation, and 6 patients received a liver transplant. The explant pathology of hilar tumors showed at least a partial treatment response in 5 patients, with extensive tumor necrosis and fibrosis noted. Additionally, high apoptotic indices and low proliferative indices were measured during histological examinations. Eleven transplant-related complications occurred, and the 1-year survival rate after transplantation was 83%. In this pilot study, neoadjuvant therapy with SBRT, capecitabine, and liver transplantation for unresectable CCA demonstrated acceptable tolerability. Further studies will determine the overall future efficacy of this therapy.

Neoadjuvant therapy protocol and liver transplantation in combination with pancreatoduodenectomy for the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma occurring in a case of primary sclerosing cholangitis: case report with a more than 8-year disease-free survival

Cholangiocarcinoma has historically represented a major contraindication to liver transplantation at many centers because of its high recurrence rate and low disease-free survival rate, even after radical surgery. Novel neoadjuvant therapy protocols combined with demolitive surgery and liver transplantation seem to achieve successful results in terms of overall and disease-free survivals. Surgery frequently seems to be unsatisfactory only for patients also suffering from chronic cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease. We have reported a case of hilar cholangiocarcinoma occurring in a case of primary sclerosing cholangitis treated with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy and endoscopic brachytherapy, followed by liver transplantation combined with pancreatoduodenectomy, who has survived free of disease for >8 years.

Cholangiocarcinoma: update and future perspectives

Cholangiocarcinoma is commonly considered a rare cancer. However, if we consider the hepato-biliary system a single entity, cancers of the gallbladder, intra-hepatic and extra-hepatic biliary tree altogether represent approximately 30% of the total with incidence rates close to that of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In addition, cholangiocarcinoma is characterized by a very poor prognosis and virtually no response to chemotherapeutics; radical surgery, the only effective treatment, is not frequently applicable because late diagnosis. Biomarkers for screening programs and for follow-up of categories at risk are under investigation, however, currently none of the proposed markers has reached clinical application. For all these considerations, cancers of the biliary tree system should merit much more scientific attention also because a progressive increase in incidence and mortality for these cancers has been reported worldwide. This manuscript deals with the most recent advances in the epidemiology, biology and clinical presentation of cholangiocarcinoma.

The clinical presentation and prognostic factors for intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in a tertiary care centre

BACKGROUND

The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma is rising. Accurate predictors of survival at diagnosis are not well defined.

AIM

To clarify the clinical presentation and prognostic factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in a contemporary cohort of patients.

METHODS

Records for consecutive patients at the University of Michigan hospital diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma between January 2003 and April 2008 were reviewed.

RESULTS

In all, 136 patients had cholangiocarcinoma (79 intra- and 57 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma). Median survival was 27.3 months-25.8 months for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and 30.3 months for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Independent predictors of mortality at presentation on multivariate analysis were elevated bilirubin level (HR 1.04, 95%CI 1.01-1.07), CA 19-9 levels >100 U/mL (HR 1.90, 95%CI 1.17-3.08) and stage of disease (HR 1.51, 95%CI 1.16-1.96). After adjusting for baseline prognostic factors, surgical therapy was associated with improved survival (HR 0.48; 95% CI 0.26-0.88). There were no significant differences regarding clinical presentation, disease stage (P = 0.98), and survival (P = 0.51) between intra- and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Survival for cholangiocarcinoma remains poor with no significant difference in outcomes between intra- and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Stage of disease, bilirubin level and CA 19-9 level are important prognostic factors at presentation. Surgical therapy provides similar efficacy for both tumours when adjusted for other prognostic variables.