Liver Transplantation with Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation is More Effective than Resection for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

We reviewed our experience between January 1993 and August 2004 and compared patient survival between the treatment groups.

Seventy-one patients entered the transplant treatment protocol and 38 underwent liver transplantation. Fifty-four patients were explored for resection. Twenty-six (48%) underwent resection, and 28 (52%) had unresectable disease. One-, 3-, and 5-year patient survival were 92%, 82%, and 82% after transplantation and 82%, 48%, and 21% after resection (P = 0.022). There were fewer recurrences in the transplant patients (13% versus 27%).