Surgical treatments and prognoses of patients with combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Background: Combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma is a very rare form of primary liver cancer containing components of both tumor types. We evaluated the effectiveness of surgical treatment and factors related to survival and recurrence.

Patients and methods: Of the 2427 patients who underwent hepatectomy or liver transplantation because of a primary hepatic malignancy from January 1989 to July 2006 at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, 29 had hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma as a single mixed or transitional tumor. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Disease-free survival rates at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years were 51.1%, 38.3%, and 25.6%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that CA 19-9 above 37 U/ml was predictive of low overall survival (P= .03) and that TNM stage was significantly associated with disease-free survival (P= .04).

Conclusions: Patients with combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma had poor postoperative survival rates. High CA 19-9 level was associated with poorer survival, suggesting that the cholangiocarcinoma portion may be a major determining factor for patient prognosis. Aggressive surgical treatment, including lymph node dissection, may improve survival in patients suspected of or diagnosed with these tumors.