Systemic Therapy for Combined Hepatocellular-Cholangiocarcinoma: A Single-Institution Experience

J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2018 Oct;16(10):1193-1199. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2018.7053.

Abstract

Background: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma tumors (cHCC-CCA) are a heterogeneous group of rare malignancies that have no established optimal treatment. Patients and Methods: We identified patients with cHCC-CCA treated at a tertiary center and retrospectively examined their histology, interventions, and outcomes. We calculated disease control rate (DCR), disease progression, overall survival, and progression-free survival (PFS) between treatment subgroups. Results: A total of 123 patients were evaluable. Interventions included resection, locoregional therapy, transplant, chemotherapy, and targeted agents. Ultimately, 68 patients received systemic treatment-57 with gemcitabine plus either 5-fluoropyrimidine (5-FU) or a platinum combination. Disease progression was more common in the gemcitabine/5-FU group versus gemcitabine/platinum (P=.028), whereas DCR favored gemcitabine/platinum (78.4% vs 38.5%; P=.0143). Median PFS from time of initial diagnosis favored the gemcitabine/platinum group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Targeted agents had minimal to no effect on survival metrics. Conclusions: Gemcitabine/platinum seems to be a superior regimen for patients with cHCC-CCA who require systemic treatment. Further studies are needed to clarify the regimen's efficacy and applicability in patient subgroups.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / complications
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / mortality
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / pathology
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Bile Ducts / pathology
  • Bile Ducts / surgery
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / complications
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy*
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / methods
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / complications
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / mortality
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / pathology
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / therapy*
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Gemcitabine
  • Hepatectomy
  • Humans
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver / surgery
  • Liver Neoplasms / complications
  • Liver Neoplasms / mortality
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy / methods
  • Organoplatinum Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Organoplatinum Compounds
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Gemcitabine