Prognostic factors in patients with advanced extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A single center experience

Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) is an aggressive malignancy causing a lot of fatalities and comorbidities. Endoscopic biliary stenting (EBS) is mostly needed for ECC. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic factors for the overall survival (OS) and the factors predicting the patients eligible for chemotherapy after EBS in ECC. We retrospectively screened 153 advanced ECC patients who underwent EBS for jaundice to make the patients eligible for chemotherapy. Patient's clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded. OS was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. All parameters were assessed by binary logistic regression analysis to predict which patients are eligible for chemotherapy. The median OS of all patients was 12.0 months (10.1–13.8). The median OS of the patients treated with chemotherapy was 13.0 months (12.0–14.0), while it was 4.0 months (2.3–5.7) for patients unable for chemotherapy after EBS. Albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (ALT) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) values were independent prognostic factors for OS. Higher albumin and lower prothrombin time (PT) levels were independent parameters to predict the patients eligible for chemotherapy after EBS. Being suitable for chemotherapy was the main determinant for prolonged survival and albumin and PT levels were independent predictors for chemotherapy eligibility after EBS. Albumin, ALT, and CA 19-9 values were independent prognostic factors for OS in ECC.