The Efficacy and Limitations of Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The impact of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) remains unclear. This study evaluated the efficacy and limitations of AC.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Between 2006 and 2016, 106 patients with stage II-IV ECC who underwent curative resection with biliary tract reconstruction were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: Those who received AC (n=57) and those who did not (n=49).

RESULTS

Fewer grade 3-4 complications were observed in the AC group compared to the non-AC group (38.6 vs. 61.2%, p=0.03). In the non-AC group, complications were the most frequent reason for omitting AC (n=21, including 13 with biliary fistula). In the AC group, the therapy completion rate was 56.1% and the main reason for discontinuation was adverse events (n=12, including six with cholangitis). AC was not associated with survival benefits (median survival: 50.4 vs. 37.3 months, p=0.916).

CONCLUSION

AC for ECC might be inadequate as a standard strategy due to the low implementation and completion rates because complications often hamper administration.