Purpose
The majority of carcinomas of the biliary tract are often diagnosed at an advanced stage, despite improved diagnostic capabilities. Aggressive surgery is generally recommended in an attempt to cure the advanced disease because only complete
resection of
the tumor can provide a chance to improve the survival rate. Thus, the purpose of this research was to assess the effectiveness of a hepatopancreatoduodenectomy (HPD) in patients with both advanced gallbladder cancer directly invading adjacent
organs
and diffuse bile-duct cancer by analyzing the long term results of an HPD. Methods
Forty patients underwent an HPD at Asan Medical Center from December 1993 to May 1999, and their cases were retrospectively reviewed. Gallbladder cancers was present in 14 of the patients and bile-duct cancers in 24 cases; the other 2 cases were
benign.
Cancers were classified by using the criteria of the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC). Survival curves were calculated by using the Kaplan-Meier method. The median follow-up was 35 months. Results
Hepatectomies varied from a right trisegmentectomy to an S4aS5 subsegmentectomy. There were 19 (47.5%) major postoperative complications, including intraabdominal bleeding, intestinal obstruction, liver abscess, and others. Of the 14 patients
experiencing tumor recurrence, 7 (50%) cases involved the remnant liver. There were 4 (10%) perioperative mortalities. The 5 (22.7%) patients who with stage IVa and IVb cancer (22 cases) survived more than 3 years are all still alive and without
tumor
recurrence. The 1-and 3-year cumulative survival rates for gallbladder cancer were 83.3% and 48.5%, respectively, and those for bile-duct cancer were 83.3% and 49.7%. The differences in survival between the groups was not statistically
significant,
excluding perioperative deaths. The median survival was 13.7 months. Conclusion
An HPD is indicated for either advanced gallbladder cancer or diffuse bile-duct cancer because complete resection through this surgical procedure can provide a chance to improve survival. It is necessary to decrease perioperative mortality and
morbidity
by complete preoperative evaluation, meticulous operative manipulation, and intensive postoperative care.
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