Presentation and Outcomes with First-Line Chemotherapy in Advanced Cholangiocarcinomas—A Relatively Rare Component of Biliary Tract Cancers in India

Background Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a rare group of cancers with limited data with respect to advanced unresectable cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Materials and Methods The study is a retrospective study of patients with advanced unresectable/metastatic CCA, who received first-line palliative chemotherapy (CT1) from January 2014 to March 2019 at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Baseline clinical characteristics, chemotherapeutic regimens, and toxicities were evaluated. Results One hundred and forty patients satisfied criteria for evaluation. Median age of the entire cohort was 57 years (range: 32–80). There were 87 patients (62.1%) with intrahepatic CCA, 35 patients (25%) with perihilar CCA, and 14 patients (10%) with distal CCA. One hundred and twelve patients (80%) had metastatic disease at presentation. Commonest CT1 regimens were gemcitabine–cisplatin (GC) in 89 patients (63.5%) and gemcitabine–oxaliplatin (GO) in 34 patients (24.3%). Sixty-three patients (45%) received second-line chemotherapy. With a median follow-up of 27 months, median progression-free survival for the entire cohort was 7.56 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.23–8.88), and median OS was 12.16 months (95% CI: 10.08–14.24). Common chemotherapy-related grade 3/4 side effects included vomiting in 25 patients (17.9%), diarrhea in 23 patients (16.4%), and thrombocytopenia in 22 patients (15.7%). Conclusion The current study in advanced CCAs is the largest of its nature from India. The common regimens used as first line were GC and GO. Tolerance and overall survival appear similar to previously published data.