Effect of bile duct resection on the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma combined with extrahepatic bile duct tumor thrombus.

BACKGROUND: Surgical therapy is the most optimal treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) combined with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) patients. However, whether to perform bile duct resection (BDR) is still controversial. The purpose of this multicenter research is to compare the effect of BDR on the prognosis of extrahepatic BDTT patients. METHODS: We collected the data of 111 HCC patients combined with extrahepatic BDTT who underwent radical hepatectomy from June 1, 2004 to December 31, 2021. Those patients had either received hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection (BDR group) or hepatectomy without bile duct resection (NBDR group). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to reduce the potential bias between two groups and balance the influence of confounding factors in baseline data. Then compare the prognosis between the two groups of patients. Cox regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis to further determine the independent risk factors that influence the prognosis of HCC-BDTT patients. RESULTS: There were 38 patients in the BDR group and 73 patients in the NBDR group. Before and after IPTW, there were no statistical significance in OS, RFS and intraoperative median blood loss between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Before IPTW, the median postoperative hospital stay in the NBDR group was shorter (P = 0.046) and the grade of postoperative complications was lower than BDR group (P = 0.014). After IPTW, there was no difference in postoperative hospital stay between the two groups (P > 0.05). The complication grade in the NBDR group was still lower than that in the BDR group (P = 0.046). The univariate analysis showed that TNM stage and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) were significantly correlated with OS (both P < 0.05). Preoperative AFP level, TNM stage and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were significantly correlated with postoperative RFS (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor TNM stage was an independent risk factor for the OS rate (P = 0.014). TNM stage, PNI and AFP were independent predictors of RFS after radical hepatectomy (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For HCC-BDTT patients, hepatocellular carcinoma resection combined with choledochotomy to remove the tumor thrombus may benefit more.

The Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Major Vascular Invasion.

Vascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma involves tumor plugs in the main trunk of the portal vein, bile ducts, and veins, and it indicates poor prognosis. It is often associated with portal hypertension, which requires evaluation and management. Treatment includes hepatic resection, systemic pharmacotherapy, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Recurrence rates post-hepatic resection are high, and systemic drug therapy often has limited therapeutic potential in patients with a poor hepatic reserve. Single therapies are generally inadequate, necessitating combining multiple therapies with adjuvant and systemic pharmacotherapy before and after hepatectomy. This narrative review will provide an overview of the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with vascular invasion.

Long-term surgical outcomes of bile duct tumor thrombus versus portal vein tumor thrombus for hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) seriously affects the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) significantly affects the prognosis of HCC as much as PVTT remains unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term surgical outcomes of HCC with macroscopic PVTT (macro-PVTT) and macroscopic BDTT (macro-BDTT). Methods: The data of HCC patients with macro-BDTT or macro-PVTT who underwent hemihepatectomy were retrospectively reviewed. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to reduce the baseline imbalance. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were compared between the cohorts. Results: Before PSM, the PVTT group had worse RFS and OS rates than the BDTT group (P = 0.043 and P = 0.008, respectively). Multivariate analyses identified PVTT (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.835, P = 0.016) and large HCC (HR = 1.553, P = 0.039) as independent risk factors for poor OS and RFS, respectively. After PSM, the PVTT group had worse RFS and OS rates than the BDTT group (P = 0.037 and P = 0.004, respectively). The 3- and 5-year OS rates were significantly higher in the BDTT group (59.5% and 52.1%, respectively) than in the PVTT group (33.3% and 20.2%, respectively). Conclusion: Aggressive hemihepatectomy provides an acceptable prognosis for HCC patients with macro-BDTT. Furthermore, the long-term surgical outcomes of HCC patients with macro-BDTT were significantly better than those of HCC patients with macro-PVTT.

Transarterial Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Invading the Bile Duct.

Hepatocellular carcinoma invading the bile duct (bile duct tumor thrombus) is an unfavorable condition. Although overall survival following surgical resection among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus is significantly better than that among those treated with transarterial chemoembolization or chemotherapy, surgical resection can be indicated for selected patients. Additionally, systemic therapy is indicated only for patients with Child-Pugh class A. Therefore, transarterial therapy plays an essential role in the treatment of bile duct tumor thrombus. Transarterial chemoembolization with iodized oil and gelatin sponge particles is an established first-line transarterial treatment that can necrotize most bile duct tumor thrombi. However, we should pay attention to symptoms caused by intraductal hemorrhage during transarterial chemoembolization and the sloughing of necrotized bile duct tumor thrombi.

Peroral cholangioscopy for the evaluation of bile duct stricture in hepatocellular carcinoma on a preoperative examination.

Objective: Bile duct tumor thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a relatively rare event with a poor prognosis. Furthermore, bile duct tumor thrombus in HCC may be misdiagnosed when only imaging modalities are used. The efficiency of peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) in evaluating bile duct lesions has been reported. Patients: We present three cases of HCC with bile duct strictures in which POCS was performed as a preoperative evaluation. Results: In these three cases, diagnosing whether the lesion was a bile duct tumor thrombus on CT and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was difficult. We performed POCS in three cases and were able to diagnose the presence of bile duct tumor thrombus of HCC, including differentiation from extrinsic compression of the bile duct. Conclusion: POCS for HCC with bile duct features is useful for the preoperative diagnosis of bile duct tumor thrombus, especially in cases where the surgical procedure depends on the presence of bile duct tumor thrombus.

SpyGlass in Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Right Hepatic Duct Tumor Thrombus Hemorrhage: A Case Report.

Hepatocelluar carcinoma presenting as a biliary duct tumor thrombus is a relatively rare entity, with poor prognosis. The primary clinical manifestation of this disease is obstructive jaundice, which can often be misdiagnosed. A 59-year-old female patient was admitted with sudden onset of abdominal pain. Laboratory tests suggested obstructive jaundice, and enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the upper abdomen did not show obvious biliary dilatation. Endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography suggested an occupying lesion in the upper bile duct. SpyGlass and biopsy finally confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma with right hepatic duct tumor thrombus hemorrhage. The SpyGlass Direct Visualization System, as an advanced biliary cholangioscopy device, showed the advantages of single-person operation as well as easy access to and visualization of the lesion.

Long-Term Outcomes of Liver Transplantation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Comparison with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus.

Liver transplantation (LT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) remains controversial. This study analyzed the recurrence and overall survival rates through long-term results after LT in HCC patients with BDTT and compared the results after LT in HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). We performed a retrospective study of 45 patients with PVTT, 16 patients with BDTT, and 11 patients with coexisting PVTT and BDTT among HCC patients who underwent LT at a single center from 1999 to 2020. The HCC recurrence rates were 40.4% at 1 year, 30.3.3% at 2 years, and 27.6% at 3 years in the PVTT group; 66.7%, 53.3%, and 46.7% in the BDTT group; and 22.2%, 22.2%, and 0% in the coexisting group (p = 0.183). Overall patient survival rates were 68.4% at 1 year, 54.3% at 2 years, and 41.7% at 3 years in the PVTT group; 81.3%, 62.5%, and 48.2% in the BDTT group; and 63.6%, 27.3%, and 0% in the coexisting group (p = 0.157). In the multivariate analysis, the pre-transplantation model for tumor recurrence after liver transplantation (MoRAL) score and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score were found to be independent risk factors for recurrence and survival in all groups. HCC patients with BDTT showed no difference in recurrence and survival compared with HCC patients with PVTT at the long-term follow-up after LT.

Micro-hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus mimicking intrahepatic intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Microhepatocellular carcinoma with a gross bile duct tumor thrombus is extremely rare, making the correct preoperative diagnosis difficult. CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old man was referred to our department for close examination of a liver tumor that was incidentally detected using ultrasonography. Blood tests revealed normal levels of tumor markers. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a 2-cm-sized hyperechoic mass with indistinct borders and hypoechoic margins at the origin of the right hepatic duct. Dynamic computed tomography showed a tumor with arterial phase predominance, a heterogeneous contrast effect, and prolonged enhancement. Cystic structures were observed in the tumors. In addition, localized dilatation of the caudate lobe bile duct was observed near the tumor. Cholangiography showed that the common bile duct, right and left hepatic ducts, and secondary branches did not have dilatation or stenosis. Biopsies of the bile duct revealed no malignancy. Under suspicion of intrahepatic intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct, right hemi-hepatectomy was performed. The extrahepatic bile duct was preserved, because no tumor was found at the margin of the right hepatic duct during intraoperative frozen diagnosis. Macroscopically, the lesion was an 18 × 15 mm tumor occupying a dilated intrahepatic bile duct near the right hepatic duct, with a soft, fine papillary tumor. Based on morphology and immunostaining, tumor matched with moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, a 2 mm-sized hepatocellular carcinoma was observed in the liver parenchyma near the bile duct, where the tumor was located. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with small hepatocellular carcinoma with a gross bile duct tumor thrombus. The cystic part seen on the preoperative images was considered as a gap between the bile duct and the tumor thrombus. The patient recovered well with no signs of recurrence 20 months after surgery.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Case Report and Literature Review of 890 Patients Affected by Uncommon Primary Liver Tumor Presentation.

Bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is an uncommon finding in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), potentially mimicking cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Recent studies have suggested that HCC with BDTT could represent a prognostic factor. We report the case of a 47-year-old male patient admitted to the University Hospital of Bari with abdominal pain. Blood tests revealed the presence of an untreated hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), with normal liver function and without jaundice. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a cirrhotic liver with a segmental dilatation of the third bile duct segment, confirmed by a CT scan and liver MRI, which also identified a heterologous mass. No other focal hepatic lesions were identified. A percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle biopsy was then performed, detecting a moderately differentiated HCC. Finally, the patient underwent a third hepatic segmentectomy, and the histopathological analysis confirmed the endobiliary localization of HCC. Subsequently, the patient experienced a nodular recurrence in the fourth hepatic segment, which was treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA). This case shows that HCC with BDTT can mimic different types of tumors. It also indicates the value of an early multidisciplinary patient assessment to obtain an accurate diagnosis of HCC with BDTT, which may have prognostic value that has not been recognized until now.

Colorectal liver metastasis with bile duct tumor thrombus discovered 15 years post primary tumor resection: a case report and literature review.

Colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) appears in 25-50% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, CRLM with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is rare and often diagnosed after surgical resection. We report a case of CRLM associated with BDTT in a 79 year-old woman. She underwent sigmoid colectomy for sigmoid colon carcinoma at the age of 64. Fifteen years later, abdominal computed tomography revealed a liver tumor with a biliary tumor thrombus in segment IV/V and localized dilation of the intrahepatic bile duct. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a tumor in liver segment IV/V and mass in the bile duct (B4). Extended left hepatic lobectomy was performed under the diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma or metastatic liver tumor with tumor development in the intrahepatic bile duct. The resected specimen showed significant cancer infiltration into the intrahepatic bile duct (B4), forming a tumor thrombus. The tumor was a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, histologically similar to sigmoid colon cancer. CRLM with BDTT may have a relatively low invasive potential of malignancy with a long interval after primary resection. When a patient with a history of CRC presents with BDTT, the possibility of CRLM with BDTT and surgical treatment should be considered, because resection could lead to a good prognosis. It is important to ensure a secure surgical margin in the bile ducts during surgery and anatomical hepatic resection should be considered. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13691-022-00583-6.

Vater Papilla-preserving Strategy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Excessive Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is highly malignant; therefore, continual, multidisciplinary treatments are essential. CASE REPORT: In this study, two 78- and 81-year-old men were treated with the Vater papilla-preserving strategy. Case 1 had advanced HCC with BDTT expanding to the common bile duct (B4) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) of the umbilical portion. He showed triple-positive tumor markers. He underwent an extended left hepatectomy without bile duct resection following percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Later, TACE in combination with percutaneous microwave ablation was performed to treat four intrahepatic recurrent HCCs. Case 2 had diffuse-type HCCs accompanied by BDTT (B4) and PVTT to the right portal vein. He underwent liver partition associated with portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy without bile duct resection. Six months later, he developed a solitary recurrent BDTT with obstructive jaundice. After percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, he was treated with two TACE from the various feeding arteries. Both patients achieved complete responses and are doing well without viable tumors approximately 2 years after the initial treatment. CONCLUSION: The Vater papilla-preserving strategy is essential for obtaining long-term survival and recurrent-free status for patients with HCC with highly extended BDTT.

Successful left hepatic trisectionectomy after portal vein embolization for colon cancer liver metastasis in a patient with right-sided ligamentum teres.

Right-sided ligamentum teres (RSLT) is a rare congenital anomaly in which the fetal umbilical vein is connected to the right paramedian trunk of the portal vein. An 80-year-old woman underwent curative sigmoidectomy for sigmoid cancer 3 years prior to presentation. After 1 year, small solitary liver metastasis was noted in segment 4. Because the patient experienced recurrence of the same lesion after chemotherapy and radiofrequency ablation, she was referred to our hospital. CT revealed an anomaly of the liver with RSLT, classified as an independent posterior branch type. The tumor in the left paramedian section was located in the right umbilical portion (RUP), and BDTT was advanced to the common bile duct. Because the estimated future remnant liver volume was 35.2%, transileocecal portal vein embolization (PVE) for the portal branches from the RUP increased it to 43.5% in 3 weeks. Left trisectionectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection and hepaticojejunostomy were performed. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 75. We successfully performed a left trisectionectomy after PVE in a patient with RSLT. Understanding the vascular and biliary anomalies of patients with RSLT is essential. When the future remnant liver is small, PVE can be considered for safe hepatectomy.

Prognostic Comparison Between Liver Resection and Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients With Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is rare. The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term prognosis of liver resection (LR) versus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in these patients. Methods: Data from HCC patients with BDTT who underwent liver resection and TACE were analyzed respectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed in these patients. Results: A total of 145 HCC patients with BDTT were divided into two groups: the LR group (n = 105) and the TACE group (n = 40). The median OS in the LR group was 8.0 months longer than that in the TACE group before PSM (21.0 vs. 13.0 months, P <0.001) and 9.0 months longer after PSM (20.0 vs. 11.0 months, P <0.001). The median DFS in the LR group was 3.5 months longer than that in the TACE group before PSM (7.0 vs. 3.5 months, P = 0.007) and 5 months longer after PSM (7.0 vs. 2.0 months, P = 0.007). Conclusion: If surgery is technically feasible, liver resection provides better prognosis for HCC patients with BDTT compared with TACE.

Proton Beam Therapy in Managing Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct Invasion.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct invasion is a rare and notorious subtype of HCC. This study included patients that had unresectable HCC with bile duct invasion and proton beam therapy between November 2015 and February 2021. Twenty patients fit the inclusion criteria. The median tumor size was 6.3 cm. Nine patients (45.0%) had major vascular invasions. All included patients received the radiation dose of 72.6 gray relative biological effectiveness due to the proximity of porta hepatis and tumor. The median follow-up time was 19.9 months. The median overall survival was 19.9 months among deceased patients. The 1-year cumulative local recurrence rates were 5.3%, with only two patients developing in-field failure. The 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates were 79.4% and 53.3%. The 1-year progression-free survival was 58.9%. Four patients developed radiation-induced liver disease. The 1-year cholangitis-free survival was 55.0%. Skin toxicity was the most common acute toxicity and rarely severe. Eight patients developed ≤ grade 3 gastrointestinal ulcers. Proton beam therapy offers desirable survival outcomes for unresectable HCC patients with bile duct invasion. Optimal local tumor control could also be obtained within acceptable toxicities.

Imaging Features of Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVES: There are still challenging problems in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) before operation. This study aimed to analyze the imaging features of HCC with B1-B3 BDTT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinicopathological data and imaging findings of 30 HCC patients with B1-B3 BDTT from three high-volume institutions were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 631 patients without BDTT who were randomly collected from each of the enrolled centers were recorded as the control group to analyze the differences in clinicopathological characteristics and imaging features between the two groups. A total of 453 HCC patients who underwent surgical treatment in the three institutions from January 2020 to December 2020 were collected for a blinded reading test as the validation group. RESULTS: HCC patients with B1-B3 BDTT had more advanced tumor stages and adverse clinicopathological features. HCC lesions were detected in all patients, and intrahepatic bile duct dilation was observed in 28 (93.3%) patients with B1-B3 BDTT and 9 (1.43%) patients in HCC without BDTT. The intrahepatic bile duct dilation showed no enhancement at hepatic arterial phase (HAP) and no progressively delayed enhancement at portal venous phase (PVP), but it was more obvious at PVP on CT. In the reports of the 30 HCC patients with B1-B3 BDTT generated for the image when the scan was done, BDTT was observed in all 13 B3 patients and 3 of 12 B2 patients, but none of the 5 B1 patients. Fourteen patients were misdiagnosed before surgery. However, when using intrahepatic bile duct dilation in HCC patients as a potential biomarker for BDTT diagnosis, the sensitivity and specificity for BDTT diagnosis were 93.33% and 98.57%, respectively. The blinded reading test showed that intrahepatic bile duct dilation in CT and MRI scans could be for separating HCC patients with B1-B3 BDTT from HCC patients without BDTT. CONCLUSIONS: The HCC lesions and intrahepatic bile duct dilation on CT or MRI scans are imaging features of HCC with BDTT, which might facilitate the early diagnosis of B1-B3 BDTT.

Efficacy and Safety of Transarterial Chemoembolization for the Treatment of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Associated with Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Real-World Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is rare. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with unresectable HCC with BDTT. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on newly diagnosed HCC and BDTT patients who were initially treated with TACE or conservative management (CM) from 2009 to 2018. Survival outcomes of patients treated with TACE were compared with those of patients given CM. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic factors related to survival. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients included in this study, 40 patients underwent TACE, while the remaining 60 received CM. The median survival time of the TACE group was 8.0 months longer than that of the CM group (13.0 versus 5.0 months, P < 0.001). The 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-month overall survival (OS) rates were 90.0%, 52.5%, 22.5%, and 12.5%, respectively, for the TACE group compared with 26.7%, 8.3%, 5.0%, and 3.3%, respectively, for the CM group. Multivariate analyses showed that treatment allocation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.421; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.243-0.730; P = 0.002), Child-Pugh status (HR, 2.529; 95% CI, 1.300-4.920; P = 0.006) and total bilirubin level (HR, 1.007; 95% CI, 1.004-1.009; P < 0.001) on first admission were independent predictors of OS. There was no procedure-related mortality within one month after TACE treatment. CONCLUSION: TACE is a safe and effective treatment method that may improve the OS of patients with unresectable HCC with BDTT.

Concurrent bile duct resection versus concomitant thrombectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma associated with bile duct tumor thrombus: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is uncommon in clinical practice. Surgical resection can achieve better survival than non-operative palliative treatments. However, there is great controversy regarding the optimal surgical modality, particularly regarding the approach to remove BDTT in patients with HCC with macroscopic BDTT. METHODS: Data from consecutive patients who underwent radical surgery for HCC and macroscopic BDTT at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital and Fujian Provincial Hospital from January 2009 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The survival outcomes of patients who underwent hepatectomy combined with extrahepatic bile duct resection (the EBDR group) were compared with those of patients undergoing liver resection plus thrombectomy (the thrombectomy group) using propensity score matching (PSM). Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: 217 patients included in this study were divided into two groups: the EBDR group (n=30) and the thrombectomy group (n=187). A total of 90 patients were matched by PSM with a 1:2 ratio. Before PSM, the OS and RFS rates were comparable between the two groups (for OS, P=0.517; for RFS, P=0.211). After PSM, the OS rates did not differ statistically significantly between the EBDR and thrombectomy groups (P=0.134). Nevertheless, the RFS rate of the EBDR group was significantly higher compared to that of the thrombectomy group (P=0.020). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that some traditional risk factors, such as tumor size and microscopic resection margin, were more important prognostic factors than the BDTT type. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with HCC and macroscopic BDTT, hepatectomy combined with extrahepatic bile duct resection is associated with a reduced recurrence rate in comparison with concurrent thrombectomy. Further large-scale, prospective studies are warranted to evaluate the impact of different surgical modalities on these patients' survival.

Thrombus-First Surgery for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal surgical method of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is still controversial. This study aims to investigate the impact of different surgical methods on BDTT patients. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was carried out on HCC patients with BDTT who underwent surgery. The survival outcomes of different operation methods were studied. RESULTS: A total of 120 HCC patients with BDTT from 5 different clinical centers were included. The median disease-free survival (DFS) of the bile duct resection (BDR) group was significantly better than that of the non-BDR group (24.6 months vs. 18.9 months, p = 0.034), but the overall survival (OS) was similar between the two groups (33.6 months vs. 32.3 months, p = 0.193). When we divided the non-BDR group into two groups according to the operation sequence of the hepatic tumor and BDTT, we found that the OS of the thrombus-first group was significantly longer than that of the tumor-first group (42.7 months vs. 23.6 months, p = 0.016). When compared with the BDR group, the thrombus-first group showed similar OS (42.7 months vs. 33.6 months, p = 0.653) and DFS (24.7 months vs. 24.6 months, p = 0.150), which may be the reason the OS rate of the BDR group was similar to that of the non-BDR group. CONCLUSIONS: A thrombus-first technique could be considered for HCC patients with extrahepatic BDTT, especially for those patients in which the tumor thrombus did not invade the bile duct.

The benefit of curative liver resection with a selective bile duct preserving approach for hepatocellular carcinoma with macroscopic bile duct tumor thrombus.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presenting with macroscopic bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is an uncommon event. The role of a curative hepatic resection and associated long-term outcomes remain controversial. In addition the necessity for bile duct resection is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of hepatectomy with a selective bile duct preservation approach for HCC with BDTT in comparison to outcomes without BDTT. METHODS: A total of 22 HCC with BDTT patients who had undergone curative hepatic resection with a selective bile duct preservation approach at our institute were retrospectively reviewed. These were compared to group of 145 HCC without BDTT patients. The impact of curative surgical resection and BDTT on clinical outcomes and survival after surgical resection were analyzed. RESULTS: All HCC with BDTT cases underwent major hepatectomy vs. 32.4% in the comparative group. Bile duct preservation rate was 56.5%. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of HCC with BDTT patients in comparison to the HCC without BDTT group were 81.8%, 52.8% and 52.8% vs. 73.6%, 55.6% and 40.7% (P=0.804) respectively. Positive resection margin, tumor size ≥5 cm and AFP ≥200 IU/mL were significant risk factors regarding overall survival. However, it is unclear whether presence of a bile duct tumor thrombus has an adverse impact on either recurrence free survival or overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Bile duct obstruction from tumor thrombus did not necessarily indicate an advanced form of disease. Tumor size and AFP had greater impact on long-term outcomes than bile duct tumor thrombus. Major liver resection with a selective bile duct preserving approach in HCC with BDTT can achieve favorable outcomes comparable to those of HCC without BDTT in selected patients.