Cholangiocarcinoma: prognostic factors after surgical resection in China.

OBJECTIVE The management of cholangiocarcinoma remains a challenge due to poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to identify the influencing factors related to outcome of patients with cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS From January 1999 to January 2009, 169 cases of cholangiocarcinoma undergoing surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Relationships between survival and clinicopathological factors including patient demographics and tumor characteristics were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients after resection were 52.6%, 32.4%, 11.7%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that CEA, lymph node metastasis, surgical margin, AJCC staging, tumor differentiation and adjuvant chemotherapy were prognostic impacts. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Cox multivariate analysis showed that CEA, lymph node metastasis and surgical margin are three independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION Radical resection is the key to improve the long-term survival rate of cholangiocarcinoma. Important predictive factors related to poor survival are CEA, lymph node metastasis and surgical margin.