Pancreatoduodenectomy for Distal Cholangiocarcinoma: Prognostic Impact of Lymph Node Metastasis

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify useful prognostic factors in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: The records of 36 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Potential clinicopathological prognostic factors that may affect survival were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: There was no mortality. Overall survival rates were 75%, 54%, and 50% for 1, 3 and 5 years, respectively (median survival time, 26 months). Univariate analysis found that age (>== 65 years), pancreatic invasion, duodenal invasion, lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion and a positive surgical margin were significant predictors of poor prognosis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, lymph node metastasis was found to be a significant independent predictor of poor prognosis by multivariate analysis (P = 0.043). Moreover, there were significant differences in the 5-year survival between patients with 2 or less involved lymph nodes and those with 3 or more positive nodes (P < 0.001). There were no 2-year survivors of the group of patients with 3 or more positive nodes. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the presence and number of lymph nodes exhibiting metastatic disease might be useful in predicting the postsurgical outcome in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma.