Outcomes of endoscopic papillectomy of ampullary carcinoma and factors affecting additional surgery

Data on the prognosis of endoscopic papillectomy (EP) for ampullary carcinoma (AC) is limited; therefore, we aimed to identify the factors associated with endoscopically controlled AC.

Between January 2003 and October 2022, 75 patients underwent EP for ampullary tumors and were diagnosed with AC based on the pathological features of the resected tissue. The factors associated with additional surgery after EP were also evaluated.

A total of 67 patients had ACs ranging from carcinoma in situ to tumors limited to the mucosa (M group), and eight patients had ACs ranging from those limited to the sphincter of Oddi to those invading the duodenal muscularis propria (OD group). The 3-year endoscopic tumor control (condition not requiring additional surgery) rates in the M and OD groups were 90.8% and 84.6% (p = .033), respectively. In the M group, the presence of tumor components in the resection margins was the only significant factor associated with additional surgeries (p = .010) in the univariate analysis. The 3-year endoscopic tumor control rates were 100% for negative and uncertain resection margins and 76.6% for positive margins (p = .009).

If the AC is confined to the mucosa and the resection margins are negative or uncertain, the tumor can be well-controlled endoscopically.