Prognostic factors in patients with recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after curative resection: A retrospective cohort study

Background: The aim of this study is to determine the outcomes and prognostic factors in patients with recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after curative hepatectomy. Methods: Clinical, histopathological, and treatment data of 53 patients with recurrent cholangiocarcinoma after curative resection from 2005 to 2015 at our institutes were investigated and analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses (E-788). Results: Recurrent cholangiocarcinoma occurred in 53 of 97 patients who underwent curative resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The median overall survival after recurrence was 13.6 months (range, 1-55 months). Multivariate analysis revealed that recurrent treatment without surgery (p = 0.0007), gross appearance except for mass-forming type (p = 0.0183) and bile duct invasion at the initial surgery (p = 0.0093) were significant poor prognostic factors in recurrent cholangiocarcinoma. Median survival of patients after surgical treatment for recurrent cholangiocarcinoma was 36.7 months versus 13.1 months in patients who did not undergo surgery (p = 0.029). Conclusions: Surgical treatment, gross appearance in mass-forming type and the absence of bile duct invasion were independent favorable factors for survival among patients with recurrent cholangiocarcinoma. We recommend surgical treatment for localized recurrence, even if it occurs early after the initial hepatectomy.