Combined liver transplantation and pancreatoduodenectomy for irresectable hilar bile duct carcinoma

Hepatopancreatoduodenectomy with simultaneous resection of the portal vein and hepatic artery for locally advanced cholangiocarcinoma: Short- and long-term outcomes of superextended surgery

BACKGROUND

Only a few authors have reported negative results for hepatopancreatoduodenectomy (HPD) with simultaneous resection of the portal vein and hepatic artery in a limited number of patients. The aim of the current study was to outline our experience with this superextended surgery and to discuss its clinical value.

METHODS

Medical records of consecutive patients who underwent resection of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

During the study interval, 650 patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent resection. The superextended surgery was performed in only nine (1.4%) patients. Left or right trisectionectomy was primarily performed. For portal vein reconstruction, external iliac vein graft was required in seven patients. For hepatic artery reconstruction, rotating left gastric artery was often used. The median operative time was 870 minutes and blood loss was 2,598 mL. Postoperatively, pancreatic fistula and liver failure occurred in all patients, followed by intraabdominal abscess (n = 8), and bacteremia (n = 4). One patient died on day 86 due to multiple organ failure. Two patients survived for more than 7 years.

CONCLUSIONS

HPD with simultaneous resection of the portal vein and hepatic artery is demanding but worth performing as the last option, with careful patient selection in experienced centers.

Indications and outcomes of pancreatic surgery after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Prior liver transplantation and immunosuppression potentially translate into significant morbidity and poor outcomes after any type of pancreatic surgery. Little is known about the outcomes of pancreatic surgery after liver transplantation. This study was designed to review our experience regarding the indications and outcomes of pancreatic surgery following liver transplantation.

METHODS

A retrospective review of all liver transplant recipients who underwent pancreatic surgery between 1991 and 2009 was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 3196 patients underwent liver transplantation, of whom 18 (0.6%) subsequently required pancreatic surgery. The most common indications were necrotizing pancreatitis and lesions of the head and tail of the pancreas. Procedures performed included pancreaticoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, and pancreatic necrosectomy. The estimated blood loss was 500 mL and operative time was 430 ± 224 min. Pathology results revealed malignant lesions in six (33%) patients, pre-malignant lesions in 2 (11%) patients, and benign lesions in 10 (56%) patients. The median time from transplantation to pancreatic surgery was 61 months. The 30-d postoperative complication rate was 77.8%, with median hospital stay of 15 d. The three-, 12-, and 24-month survival rates were 78%, 48%, and 24%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Pancreatic surgery after liver transplantation results in significant 30-d complications. Prior liver transplantation, however, should not be a contraindication for subsequent pancreatic surgery, due to its decent survival outcome.

Liver transplantation and pancreatic resection: a single-center experience and a review of the literature

Liver transplantation may occasionally be indicated in patients with unique clinical scenarios. Little is known regarding the outcomes of patients who have had a pancreatic resection prior to, in combination with, or after liver transplantation. A retrospective review of all patients undergoing liver transplantation from March 1998 to March 2008 identified 17 patients who also underwent pancreatic resection. An additional literature review was performed. Five underwent pancreatic resection prior to liver transplantation (1.7, 3.6, 3.8, 6.8, and 8.1 years), another 9 underwent pancreatic resection together with liver transplantation, and 3 underwent pancreatic resection after liver transplantation (2.2, 2.6, and 3.8 years). Indications for pancreatic resection included cholangiocarcinoma (n = 6), neuroendocrine tumor (n = 5), pancreatic cancer (n = 2), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (n = 1), periampullary adenocarcinoma (n = 1), duodenal adenomas (n = 1), and benign pancreatic mass (n = 1). Indications for liver transplantation were metastatic neuroendocrine tumor disease (n = 5), primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 5), hepatitis C virus (n = 2), metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (n = 1), Klatskin tumor (n = 1), alcohol cirrhosis (n = 1), alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (n = 1), and chemotherapy-induced cirrhosis (n = 1). One patient died intraoperatively, 7 patients died of tumor recurrence, 2 patients died from transplant complications, and 7 patients are still alive. Pancreatic resection-related complications included 4 pancreatic fistulas. A literature review confirmed liver transplantation/pancreatic resection-related complications. In conclusion, liver transplantation and pancreatic resection remain uncommon, and a good outcome can be achieved. Recurrence of malignant disease is the main factor limiting survival, and specific morbidity may be related to pancreatic resection and liver transplantation.

Extended bile duct resection and [corrected] liver and transplantation in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma: long-term results

For patients with irresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma, liver transplantation (LT) is currently being reassessed because of promising data for neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. For increased radicality, hepatectomy in combination with pancreatic head resection [extended bile duct resection (EBDR)] was performed for irresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma during our initial experience. EBDR and LT was performed in 16 patients between 1992 and 1998. No neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment was performed. The Union Internationale Contre le Cancer stages were I (n = 6), IIA (5), IIB (3), and IV (2). To evaluate the suspected increase in surgical radicality, a matched pair analysis was performed with 8 patients undergoing LT for hilar cholangiocarcinoma without partial pancreatoduodenectomy. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year patient survival rates after EBDR were 63%, 38%, and 38%, respectively. Twelve patients died: 2 died because of postoperative complications, 8 died because of tumor recurrence, and 2 died while recurrence-free more than 10 years after transplantation. Among the 6 stage I patients, only 1 developed tumor recurrence, but 2 died because of postoperative complications. The following factors showed a trend toward inferior survival: distant metastases, positive lymph nodes, high carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels, and preoperative percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage. When all lymph node-negative patients were considered after the exclusion of perioperative deaths, 10-year survival was 56%. In conclusion, the overall long-term survival was relatively low in our inhomogeneous cohort but favorable in patients without metastases. However, because of the increased perioperative mortality, EBDR is not recommended as a standard procedure for hilar cholangiocarcinoma instead of LT alone. To further improve the results, other approaches such as (neo)adjuvant therapy have to be increasingly investigated.

Liver transplantation for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: a German survey

BACKGROUND

The present study reports a German survey addressing outcomes in nonselected historical series of liver transplantation (OLT) for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We sent to all 25 German transplant centers performing OLT a survey that addressed (1) the number of OLTs for HL and the period during which they were performed; (2) the incidence of HL diagnosed prior to OLT/rate of incidental HL (for example, in primary sclerosing cholangitis); (3) tumor stages according to Union Internationale Centre le Cancer; (4) patient survival; and (5) tumor recurrence rate.

RESULTS

Eighty percent of centers responded, reporting 47 patients who were transplanted for HL. Tumors were classified as pT2 (25%), pT3 (73%), or pT4 (2%). HL was diagnosed incidentally in 10% of cases. A primary diagnosis of PSC was observed in 16% of patients. Overall median survival was 35.5 months. When in-hospital mortality (n = 12) was excluded, the median survival was 45.4 months, corresponding to 3- and 5-year survival rates of 42% and 31%, versus 31% and 22% when in-hospital mortality was included. HL recurred in 34% of cases. Three- and 5-year survivals for the 15 patients transplanted since 1998 was 57% and 48%, respectively. Median survival ranged from 20 to 42 months based on the time period (P = .014).

CONCLUSIONS

The acceptable overall survival, the improved results after careful patient selection since 1998, and the encouraging outcomes from recent studies all suggest that OLT may be a potential treatment for selected cases of HL. Prospective multicenter randomized studies with strict selection criteria and multimodal treatments seem necessary.

Proximal biliary malignancy

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma is a rare malignancy that occurs at the bifurcation of the bile ducts. Complete surgical excision with negative histologic margins remains the only hope for cure or long-term survival. Because of its location and proximity to the vascular inflow of the liver, surgical resection is technically difficult and may require advanced vascular reconstructions to achieve complete excision. Patients who are not candidates for resection should undergo palliative biliary drainage. The role of neoadjuvant therapy and liver transplantation in the management of hilar cholangiocarcinoma remains to be defined in light of the recent promising results.

Sequential pancreaticoduodenectomy after living donor liver transplantation for cholangiocarcinoma

Liver transplantation (LT) for patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is often contraindicated due to concomitant occurrence of cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Cases of simultaneous pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with LT have been sporadically reported; however, the applicability of such an invasive procedure to patients with CC has not been validated. We report here a case of sequential PD performed 44 days after a successful living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using a left lobe graft. Although a clear pancreatic juice leakage through the drain persisted for days after surgery, the patient recovered from the complication and was discharged 32 days after the procedure. Currently, 1 year after LDLT, the patient is doing well with no evidence of recurrence. In conclusion, a sequential PD following LDLT is a safe and feasible option to treat CC complicating PSC. Long-term follow-up and accumulation of cases are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of this procedure for this complicated disease.

The role of liver transplantation in the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma

Surgical resection or liver transplantation (LTx) are the only available treatments that offer a potential for long-term survival or cure in cases of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Hilar resection in combination with partial hepatectomy and caudate lobectomy is regarded as the current treatment of choice. Overall 5-year survival rates range from 9% to 28%, and reach as high as 24-43% in R0 resections. Five-year survival rates in the very limited experience with LTx in hilar cholangiocarcinoma are not dramatically worse than those after resection. However, hilar cholangiocarcinoma is not at present an accepted indication for LTx given both the good results of LTx for benign diseases and the dramatic organ shortage. When compared with the prognosis of other gastrointestinal tumours, these survival rates are encouraging in the setting of an otherwise unresectable malignancy. As such, and considering the fact that it may represent the only possibility for cure, the general exclusion of patients with cholangiocarcinomas as candidates for LTx does not seem to be justified. Furthermore, recent advances in multimodal tumour therapy seem to be most promising in combination with LTx. Prospective studies are required to elucidate the influence of better patient selection and the role of multimodal treatments on the outcome of LTx in hilar cholangiocarcinoma. If the encouraging data achieved with neoadjuvant therapy prior to LTx are confirmed by further studies, we foresee that renewed interest in LTx for hilar cholangiocarcinoma could arise.

Combined adult-to-adult living donor right lobe liver transplantation and pancreatoduodenectomy for distal bile duct adenocarcinoma in a patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation is the best therapeutic option for patients with end-stage liver disease from primary sclerosing cholangitis. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is associated with a markedly increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma, which adversely affects survival. Approximately 20% to 30% of cholangiocarcinomas are localized in the distal bile duct. Pancreatoduodenectomy is the curative therapy for cholangiocarcinomas in this location.

STUDY DESIGN

We reviewed our data on a patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis-related end-stage liver disease and a simultaneous distal bile duct tumor, which was treated with a combined right-lobe, living-donor liver transplantation and pancreatoduodenectomy.

RESULTS

The patient was discharged 32 days post-transplantation. He is currently alive 1 year after the procedure with no evidence of recurrent cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined living-donor liver transplantation and pancreatoduodenectomy is feasible and allows timely and elective surgical control of carefully selected distal bile duct tumors in the setting of end-stage liver disease.

Cholangiocarcinoma: recent progress. Part 2: molecular pathology and treatment

Part 2 of this review discusses DNA damage in biliary epithelial cells in the development of cholangiocarcinoma, alterations in cell kinetics of biliary epithelial cells, biliary epithelial mitoinhibition, and apoptosis that includes the role of Bcl-2, transforming growth factor-beta, telomerase activities and deregulation of Ras and p53, cancer-associated antigens in cholangiocarcinoma, precancerous lesions, stroma formation and angiogenesis, cancer invasion, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and the mechanism of evasion from immune surveillance. These discussions are followed briefly by treatments such as photodynamic therapy, and surgical approaches comparing resection and liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation for cholangiocellular carcinoma: analysis of a single-center experience and review of the literature

Cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) is a biliary malignancy that frequently presents in advanced unresectable stages. The role of liver transplantation (LT) as a surgical modality is unclear. The goal of this study is to evaluate outcomes of patients with CCC undergoing LT. A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing LT was undertaken. Only those patients with the pathological diagnosis of CCC were included on the study. Patients were divided into two groups based on primary tumor location: extrahepatic (EH)-CCC and intrahepatic (IH)-CCC. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall and recurrence-free survival. Log-rank analysis was used to determine the significance of prognostic variables. Twenty-five patients were identified: 9 patients with EH-CCC (5 patients, Klatskin-type; 2 patients, the middle third; and 2 patients, the distal third) and 16 patients with IH-CCC. Mean age was 47.1 +/- 10.6 years. There were 14 men and 11 women. Tumor stage was local (stages I and II; n = 9) or advanced (stages III and IV; n = 16). Overall and disease-free survival rates were 71% and 67% at 1 year and 35% and 32% at 3 years, respectively. Analysis of variables showed statistically significant improved outcomes (P < .05) for the absence of contiguous organ invasion at LT, small tumor size, and single tumor foci. This study indicates that early survival after LT for CCC is acceptable. Three-year disease-free survival is achieved in approximately 30% of patients. These outcomes can be improved by applying strict selection criteria based on prognostic variables identified in this study.

Transplantation for liver and biliary cancer

The early survival of patients transplanted for liver and biliary cancer is excellent, but the overall mid- to long-term survival is poor. In an era of severe donor organ shortage, it is not justified to allocate donor liver to patients with a suboptimal outcome. Patients with non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma in a non-cirrhotic liver should not be assigned to liver transplantation. Although patients with the fibrolamellar variant have a somewhat better outlook, they are still likely to recur, and the young age of many of these patients is likely to overwhelm any rational approach. The results of transplantation for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in a cirrhotic liver are similar to those achieved with benign disease. The inclusion of such cases as a group is justified, but attempts should be made to resect tumors whenever possible and to not assign the entire group to transplantation as the first and only option. The value of pre- and postoperative adjuvant therapy for this group is still under debate, but the present waiting period is so long that some form of therapy to slow growth and prevent dissemination of tumor cells is probably required. The results following transplantation for cholangiocarcinoma can only be regarded as dismal, and the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma is a contraindication for the procedure. Liver transplantation has a definite place in the treatment of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and unresectable chemo-responsive hepatoblastoma when confined to the liver, and in a limited number of metastatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin tumors) with hepatic resection or transplantation

BACKGROUND

Because of the rarity of hilar cholangiocarcinoma, its prognostic risk factors have not been sufficiently analyzed. This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate various pathologic risk factors which influenced survival after curative hepatic resection or transplantation.

METHODS

Between 1981 and 1996, 72 patients (43 males and 29 females) with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent hepatic resection (34 patients) or transplantation (38 patients) with curative intent. Medical records and pathologic specimens were reviewed to examine the various prognostic risk factors. Survival was calculated by the method of Kaplan-Meier using the log rank test with adjustment for the type of operation. Survival statistics were calculated first for each kind of treatment separately, and then combined for the calculation of the final significance value.

RESULTS

Survival rates for 1, 3, and 5 years after hepatic resection were 74%, 34%, and 9%, respectively, and those after transplantation were 60%, 32%, and 25%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that T-3, positive lymph nodes, positive surgical margins, and pTNM stage III and IV were statistically significant poor prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis revealed that pTNM stage 0, I, and II, negative lymph node, and negative surgical margins were statistically significant good prognostic factors. For the patients in pTNM stage 0-II with negative surgical margins, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 80%, 73%, and 73%, respectively. For patients in pTNM stage IV-A with negative lymph nodes and surgical margins, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 66%, 37%, and 37%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Satisfactory longterm survivals can be obtained by curative surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma either with hepatic resection or liver transplantation. Redefining pTNM stage III and IV-A is proposed to better define prognosis.

Appraisal of transplantation for malignant tumours of the liver with special reference to early stage hepatocellular carcinoma

The enthusiasm to treat or even cure patients with unresectable hepatobiliary malignancy by total hepatectomy and liver transplantation has considerably diminished. Nowadays, due to organ-donor shortage, patients have to be selected with predictable likelihood for long-term survival. According to own experience and a review of the literature, liver transplantation may be considered in unresectable early stage hepatocellular and proximal bile duct carcinoma, the uncommon entities fibrolamellar carcinoma, epithelioid haemangioendothelioma and hepatoblastoma as well as in liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumours. At present, advanced stages of hepatocellular and proximal bile duct carcinoma, as well as intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma, haemangiosarcoma and metastases from nonendocrine tumours, should be excluded from transplantation. In order to cure the cancer-bearing disease, liver transplantation might be the ideal treatment for small but still resectable hepatocellular carcinoma with underlying cirrhosis. Our retrospective comparison of survival after resection and transplantation for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma does not reveal a significant difference. Although a tendency has been observed in favour of transplantation, resection of these tumours is still justifiable, not least because of donor organ shortage.