2025 Volume 39 Issue 1 Pages 42-48
The only curative treatment for primary biliary tract cancer is surgical resection. However, the significance of resection for distant metastases, including liver metastases, remains unclear. Currently, distant metastases are considered unresectable, and systemic chemotherapy is the first-line treatment. However, there are several reports suggesting that resection may contribute to long-term survival in patients with metachronous liver metastases. According to the previous reports and our data, hepatectomy may be considered in patients with the recurrence-free period of at least one year, solitary or a few metastases, and no lymph node metastasis in the primary tumor. Additionally, tumor-related conditions and technical factors, including the influence of the primary resection procedure, should be carefully evaluated. The specific cut-off points for the number of metastases and the recurrence-free period, as well as the application of perioperative chemotherapy, optimal regimens, and duration, need to be clarified in future research.
