Impact of Body Mass Index on Tumor Recurrence in Patients Undergoing Liver Resection for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA)

Prognostic Impact of Visceral Adipose Tissue Imaging Parameters in Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma after Surgical Resection

Visceral adiposity is known to be related to poor prognosis in patients with cholangiocarcinoma; however, the prognostic significance of the qualitative features of adipose tissue in cholangiocarcinoma has yet to be well defined. This study investigated the prognostic impact of adipose tissue imaging parameters reflecting the quantity and qualitative characteristics of subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in 94 patients undergoing resection of cholangiocarcinoma. The area, mean computed tomography (CT) attenuation, and mean 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) uptake of SAT and VAT on positron emission tomography (PET)/CT for staging work-up were measured, and the relationship of these adipose tissue imaging parameters with clinicopathological factors and survival was assessed. TNM stage, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion, and the size of cholangiocarcinoma showed positive correlations with adipose tissue imaging parameters. Multivariate survival analysis demonstrated that the visceral-to-subcutaneous adipose tissue area ratio (VSR) (p = 0.024; hazard ratio, 1.718) and mean FDG uptake of VAT (p = 0.033; hazard ratio, 9.781) were significant predictors for RFS, but all of the adipose tissue imaging parameters failed to show statistical significance for predicting OS. In addition to visceral adiposity, FDG uptake of VAT might be a promising prognostic parameter for predicting RFS in patients with cholangiocarcinoma.

Survival outcome of patient with pT1N0 biliary tract cancer treated with surgery alone

INTRODUCTION

Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) with S-1 or capecitabine monotherapy is now the standard of care for resected biliary tract cancer (BTC) according to the Adjuvant S-1 for Cholangiocarcinoma Trial (ASCOT) and the BILCAP study. Patients selection criteria, especially regarding pT1N0 BTC, differed in both trials. We aimed to clarify the survival outcomes regarding resected pT1N0 BTC without AC.

METHODS

Among patients with macroscopically complete resection for BTC treated without AC between September 1992 and December 2020, the survival outcomes of those with pT1N0 BTC, except for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, according to the Union for International Cancer Control 7th and 8th edition (TNM7 and 8), were investigated.

RESULTS

Of 749 patients who underwent curative resection for BTC, 69 were identified as having pT1N0 BTC according to TNM8. Six patients (9 %) developed recurrence during the median follow-up period of 53 months (range: 14-263 months) with only one patient (2 %) being pT1N0 according to TNM7. Based on TNM8, the 5-year recurrence-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival reached 90.7 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 80.3-95.7 %), 96.4 % (95 % CI: 86.1-99.1 %), and 85.3 % (95 % CI: 71.2-92.8 %), respectively. Perineural invasion (PNI) was significantly associated with recurrence, and the recurrence rate in patients with PNI reached as high as 40 %.

CONCLUSIONS

The survival outcomes regarding resected pT1N0 BTC according to TNM7 were excellent without AC; however, those of TNM8 were not, with PNI being associated with recurrence risk.