Epidemiologic transition of biliary tract cancers in an endemic region of Korea: insights from a regional cancer center cohort.

BACKGROUND

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) in East Asia have traditionally been linked to inflammation-related etiologies. However, metabolic risk factors are increasingly contributing to BTC development. Temporal trends in BTC epidemiology remain underexplored in the Korean population. This study aimed to review 13-year trends in BTCs, focusing on metabolic and inflammatory comorbidities, in a southeastern Korean cancer center historically characterized by a high incidence of inflammation-related BTCs.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study analyzed 2,001 patients diagnosed with BTC at a southeastern Korean cancer center between 2009 and 2021. Data on general demographics (age, sex, smoking, alcohol), metabolic factors (hypertension, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia), and inflammatory conditions (viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, bile duct stone, liver fluke infection) were collected from electronic medical records. Annual trends in clinical and demographic variables were evaluated using the Cochran-Armitage trend test.

RESULTS

The cohort comprised 680 patients with gallbladder cancers and 586 patients with intrahepatic, 367 patients with perihilar, and 368 patients with distal cholangiocarcinomas. Gallbladder cancer was more common in females, whereas intrahepatic and distal cholangiocarcinomas were more prevalent in males. Over 13 years, the prevalence of hypertension and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 significantly increased (both p < 0.001). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus remained stable at approximately 26%. Although the proportion of patients with inflammatory factors increased from 38.9% to 49.7%, this trend was not statistically significant (p = 0.646).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate an ongoing epidemiological transition in BTC risk profiles in Korea, with metabolic factors, such as hypertension and obesity, playing an increasingly prominent role.