An aggressive surgical approach to bile duct cancer

Fifty-five patients with bile duct carcinoma have been treated at the Vanderbilt University, Metropolitan Nashville General, and Baptist Hospitals since 1957. Thirty-eight per cent (21) of the patients had tumors arising in the upper third of the bile duct; eight (15%) were in the middle third, and ten (18%) were in the lower third. In 12 instances, the malignant process involved both the middle and lower thirds of the bile duct, and in four cases, the extent of the tumor was too great to determine its origin. Most patients (49) presented with jaundice. Thirty (54%) also had pain, and 43 (24%) had experienced some weight loss. Fifteen had hepatomegaly, but only eight were found to have an enlarged gallbladder upon physical exam. Four patients (7%) had a positive history for hepatitis. Resection of the tumor was possible in 19 patients (35%). Decompressive procedures and biopsies were done in 25 of the others. Decompression was not possible in 11 patients. Survival for the 11 patients whose tumors were only biopsied averaged 4.6 months. Of the 25 patients who had palliative decompression, average survival has been 7.7 months. The 19 patients who had resection of their tumors survived an average of 2.08 years. Six of these patients are alive from 1-9 years post-diagnosis. Recently, a more aggressive surgical approach to bile duct carcinoma has been successful and has affected possible cure in ten patients of 19 in whom resection was possible and offered prolonged palliation to many of the other patients.