Long-term survival after surgery for advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a case report

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has a tendency to disperse intrahepatically and extrahepatically, therefore, resectability is limited and prognosis is generally poor. A 68-year-old female was diagnosed as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in the right lobe based on systematic images including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultra-sonography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, angiography, chest X-ray, as well as laboratory data. Tumor invasion to the right diaphragm, lung and chest wall was suspected pre-operatively. After pre-operative portal embolization, extended right hepatectomy with partial resection of the involved organs including diaphragm, lung, and chest wall was done en bloc. The patient made an uneventful postoperative recovery and there has not been any evidence of recurrence at present, over four and a half years after surgery. Experience in the present case indicates that radical surgery may be a potential approach to yield a hopeful outcome for patient with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, even if the tumor invades adjacent organs directly.