Objectives of the present study were to identify predictors of the recurrence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and to evaluate the survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy and surgical treatment for ICC recurrence. A multi-institutional retrospective study was carried out in 356 patients with ICC who underwent curative surgery at one of 14 institutions belonging to the Kyushu Study Group of Liver Surgery. A total of 214 patients (60%) had recurrence. Predictors of ICC recurrence were as follows: positive for pathological intrahepatic metastasis (im), positive for lymph node metastasis (n), positive for pathological lymphatic infiltration (ly), pathological bile duct invasion (b), and tumor size ≥4.4 cm. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to 120 patients (34%) and, in the patients with im or tumor size ≥4.4 cm, adjuvant chemotherapy showed a survival benefit. Only 37 patients (17%) underwent surgical treatment for ICC recurrence. The surgical treatment resulted in a good 5-year survival rate (44%), which is similar to the rate obtained by the first operation for primary ICC. Prognosis of patients with primary im after the second operation was significantly worse (5-year survival 18%) compared to patients without primary im. Primary im+ should be considered a contraindication for surgical treatment for ICC recurrence.
Keywords: adjuvant chemotherapy; intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC); predictor; prognosis; recurrence; repeat resection.