Case-control study of risk factors in cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

To investigate the risk factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). The clinicopathological data of 190 patients with cholangiocarcinomas (61 ICC and 129 ECC) diagnosed and treated in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 1998 and 2008 were collected. The clinicopathological data of 380 matched healthy controls were also collected. The information about liver diseases, family history, diabetes, smoking and drinking were recorded and analyzed. The positive rate of HBsAg(+) and anti-HBc(+), HBsAg(-) and anti-HBc(+) and the incidence of choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis in ICC patients were 27.9%, 50.8% and 14.8%, respectively. The incidence of diabetes mellitus, cholecystolithiasis, choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis and previous cholecystectomy in ECC patients were 18.6%, 15.5%, 18.6% and 13.2%, respectively. The incidences of all above mentioned factors in the ICC or ECC patients were significantly higher than that in the controls (P < 0.05). Compared with the patients with ECC, the ICC patients had a significantly higher cirrhosis rate (P < 0.05). Our study results show that choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis, liver cirrhosis and chronic HBV infection are possible risk factors for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, while choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis, diabetes mellitus, cholecystolithiasis, history of cholecystectomy are risk factors for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.