Liver transplantation for Klatskin's tumor: contraindicated, palliative, or indicated?

Surgical resection is the only potential curative treatment for Klatskin's tumor. In the cases of Bismuth type IV, some authors have suggested performing liver transplantation (OLT). Our aim was to present our experience in the management of Klatskin's tumor, with special reference to patients undergoing OLT.

Between May 1988 and December 2006, 66 patients were treated in our department for Klatskin's tumor, including 43 men and 23 women of overall mean age 66 years (range = 38 to 88). Twenty patients (group 1) were in operable and 46 patients underwent resection surgery (group 2), including 13 tumors considered unresectable (group 2a), with OLT contraindicated for disseminated tumor; tumor resection was possible in 23 cases (group 2b) and the remaining 10 patients who were surgically unresectable but with nondisseminated neoplasm (by staging laparotomy) underwent OLT (group 2c). The mean waiting time for OLT was 2 months (range = 1 to 4 months).

The mean survival rates of the group 1 and 2a patients was 6 +/- 2 months and 8 +/- 2 months, respectively. Of the 23 resected patients, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 84%, 59%, and 40%. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival of OLT was 80%, 60%, and 37%, respectively. Among the 10 transplanted patients, six died due to tumor recurrence at 46, 43, 19, 16, 12, and 12 months. The remaining four patients are alive and tumor-free at 120, 89, 68, and 29 months, respectively.

A more accurate preoperative staging, perhaps by systematic use of pre-OLT laparotomy, and the use of adjuvant, and most importantly neoadjuvant therapy may improve the results of OLT in Klatskin's tumor.