Background: Distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC) is a rare but over the last decade increasing malignancy and is associated with poor prognosis. According to the present knowledge curative surgery is the only chance for long term survival. This study was performed to evaluate prognostic factors for the outcome of patients undergoing curative surgery for distal cholangiocarcinoma.
Methods: 75 patients who underwent surgery between January 2000 and December 2014 for DCC in curative intention were analysed retrospectively. Potential prognostic factors for survival were investigated including the extent of surgery using purposeful selection of covariates in multivariable Cox regression modeling.
Results: Preoperative biliary stenting (Hazard ratio (HR): 2.530; 95%-CI: 1.146-6.464, p = 0.020), the extent of surgery in case of positive histological venous invasion (HR: 1.209; 95%-CI: 1.017-1.410, p = 0.032), lymph node staging (HR: 2.183; 95%-CI: 1.250-3.841, p = 0.006), perineural invasion (HR: 2.118; 95%-CI: 1.147-4.054, p = 0.016) and postoperative complications graded in points according to Clavien-Dindo (HR: 1.395; 95%-CI: 1.148-1.699, p = 0.001) were indentified as independent significant risk factors for survival. Patients receiving preoperative biliary stenting showed prolonged duration between onset of symptoms and date of operation (p = 0.048).
Conclusions: Preoperative biliary stenting reduces survival possibly due to delayed surgery. The extent of surgery is not an independent risk factor for survival except for patients with concomitant histological venous invasion. Oncological factors and postoperative surgical complications are independent prognostic factors for survival.
Keywords: Distal bile duct cancer; Extended surgery; Preoperative biliary stenting; Venous invasion.