Anatomical Resection Improved the Outcome of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis of a Retrospective Cohort

Chao Wang; Pingcuo Ciren; Awang Danzeng; Yong Li; Cheng-Long Zeng; Zhi-Wei Zhang; Zhi-Yong Huang; Yi-Fa Chen; Wan-Guang Zhang; Bi-Xiang Zhang; Bin-Hao Zhang; Xiao-Ping Chen

doi:10.1155/2022/4446243

Anatomical Resection Improved the Outcome of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis of a Retrospective Cohort

J Oncol. 2022 Oct 25:2022:4446243. doi: 10.1155/2022/4446243. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliation

¹ Hepatic Surgery Center, Institute of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.

Abstract

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common liver malignancy after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with a dismal prognosis and high heterogeneity. The oncological advantages of anatomical resection (AR) and nonanatomical resection (NAR) in HCC have been studied, but surgical strategies for ICC remain controversial with insufficient investigations.

Materials and methods: From Jan 2013 to Dec 2016, 3880 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed from a single center. Patients with ICC undergoing AR or NAR have been enrolled according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed between two groups with a 1 : 1 ratio. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints included disease-free survival (DFS), intraoperative patterns, postoperative morbidity, mortality, complications and recurrence. A prognostic nomogram was developed by a multivariate Cox proportion hazard model.

Results: After PSM, 99 paired cases were selected from 276 patients enrolled in this study. Patients in the AR group achieved better 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS (70%, 46%, and 34%, respectively) and DFS (61%, 21%, and 10%, respectively) than patients in the NAR group with statistical significance after PSM analysis. The postoperative complications and recurrence patterns were comparable between the two groups. Multivariate analysis identified NAR, tumor size >5 cm, multiple tumors, and poor differentiation as independent risk factors for OS (p < 0.05). Selected patients can benefit most from AR, according to subgroup analysis. A prognostic nomogram based on six independent risk factors for OS and factors with clinical significance was constructed to predict OS in ICC patients.

Conclusion: AR improved the long-term survival of ICC with comparable postoperative complications and similar recurrence patterns. AR is suggested in ICC patients with sufficient remnant liver volume. In addition to surgery strategy, malignant characteristics of tumors are risk factors for ICC prognosis.