Abstract

Introduction

The treatment of distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC) is contingent upon the patient's condition and the local and lymphatic extent of the disease. Surgery remains the sole radical treatment, albeit infrequently feasible and often followed by biliary drainage. The surgical procedure involves resecting the bile duct with healthy distal and proximal margins, accompanied by lymphadenectomy. Cephalic pancreatectomy (DPC) is deemed the optimal oncological treatment for DCC.

Method

This retrospective study encompasses cancers of the main bile duct. Various factors influencing treatment were analyzed, focusing on the type of resection (biliary and pancreatic).

Results

From January 2014 to December 2021, 119 patients were treated for distal cholangiocarcinoma (88 men, 31 women, average age: 61 years). Twenty-one patients underwent endoscopic drainage, 17 transhepatic drainage, and 55 surgical interventions. Among them, 9 underwent preoperative drainage, 28 radical resection, 10 DPC, 18 biliary resections, and one total pancreatectomy. In 27 patients, radical surgery was impossible; 20 underwent drainage, and 7 did not. Three early surgical revisions in the biliary resection group, with incidents of digestive hemorrhage and hemoperitoneum. Two moderate pancreatic fistulas and immediate postoperative hypoglycemia were recorded. Two deaths in the biliary resection group and 7 in-hospital deaths in the biliary drainage group. All patients with external drainage died before 12 months, while 8 patients from the endoscopic drainage group survived after 12 months. Patients with radical surgery and adjuvant treatment exhibited longer survivals (36 months vs. 45 months).

Conclusion

Improving the prognosis of DCC requires early diagnosis and radical surgery combined with adjuvant treatment.

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