OBJECTIVEExtrahepatic bile duct carcinoma is a rare but dismal malignacy. This study is conducted to show retrospective review and analysis of the correlation between the prognosis and different treatment modalities.

METHODSThe data of 84 such patients treated by different modalities from January, 1992 to July, 2000 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed using SPSS 10.0 statistical package. The survivals were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and the difference among groups was tested by the log-rank test. The prognostic factors were determined by Cox multivariate analysis.

RESULTSOf the 84 patients, 33 had complete resection, 19 palliative resection, 12 exploration alone, and the remaining 20 were treated by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 592 days. The overall 5-year survival rate was 13.1%. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rate following complete resection was 76.8%, 52.6% and 30.5% respectively, which was significantly higher than those of palliative surgery or chemotherapy/radiotherapy (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node status (P = 0), histopathological grade (P = 0.001) and distant metastasis (P = 0.002) were significant high risk factors.

CONCLUSIONThe prognosis of extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma remains poor even after complete resection as shown to have a 5-year survival of 30.5%. More effective adjuvant therapy is needed. Extended resection may be helpful in improving the prognosis for carefully selected patients. Early diagnosis and early treatment is still the key to improve the long-term survival of extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma.