Current principles for the surgical treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. It is usually diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, mainly because it is asymptomatic for a long time after the onset. Consequently, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma still represents an important problem of diagnosis and treatment. In the multidisciplinary treatment of these patients, oncological surgery is essential, as the accuracy of resection is one of the most important prognostic factors for the long-term results of these patients. Therefore, there has been a continuing concern to improve surgical techniques, with the aim of maximizing the chances of achieving the best possible long-term survival. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the surgical standard of care in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, with particular attention being paid to resection margins and lymph node dissection. For unresectable cholangiocarcinoma, locoregional therapy can be used such as transarterial chemoembolization, transarterial radioembolization, thermal ablation, radiotherapy and hepatic artery infusion pump chemotherapy.

Keywords

• surgery
• intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
• resection margins
• lymph node dissection