The multimodal treatment of central and peripheral cholangiocarcinoma – analysis based on a single center experience

The hilar and intrahepatic location represents the most frequent positioning of cholangiocarcinoma. Late diagnosis, tumour resection - as the sole method of radical treatment require a multimodal approach of this form of malignancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The paper is based on a retrospective study conducted on a series of 56 patients diagnosed with hilar and peripheral cholangiocarcinoma admitted and treated in the 3rd Surgical Clinic Cluj-Napoca between September 2004 – December 2010. The series included patients treated with radical or palliative surgical treatment, or patients who underwent minimally invasive treatment of biliary endoscopic or percutaneous drainage followed or not by surgery. We analyzed the data on the postoperative morbidity and mortality, surgical re-interventions, the percentage of patients who received curative resection with radical intention or palliative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive form of cancer and commonly diagnosed late. The cholangiocarcinoma resectability results are comparable to those in literature and may be improved by increasing the number of tumor resections with negative resection margins. The main goal of the palliative procedures is the improvement and remission of the obstructive jaundice, in most cases being successful. The multimodality of the cholangiocarcinoma treatment is a reality, but also a goal in the group of patients studied, the number of patients in which the sequential treatment biliary drainage – surgical treatment were applied being still low.