Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to clarify the utility of chemoradiation therapy for patients with unresectable mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Fourteen patients with unresectable mass-forming ICC were studied. Six patients underwent external irradiation totalling 42-60 Gy and systemic chemotherapy (5 patients underwent low dose CDDP and 5-FU, and 1underwent EPIR and 5-FU) after 1999 (treated), while no radiation or chemotherapy was performed for 8 patients before 1999 (untreated). No significant differences existed between treated and untreated patients on imaging, TNM factor or stage. In the treated group, minor response was achieved in 3 patients (50%). Disease was stable in one patient, and progressed in the other two. The 50% survival period for the treated group was 17 months, while that for the untreated group was 5 months (p<0.05). Survival rates for the treated group were 66.7% at 1 year and 22.2% at 2 years. All untreated patients died within 8 months. Chemoradiation therapy seems to improve the prognosis of patients with unresectable mass-forming ICC.
