Characterization of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma patients treated with or without chemoradiation.

Abstract

403 Background: Curative treatment for cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is surgical resection. Unfortunately, most CC patients (pts) present with unresectable disease in which gemcitabine plus platinum (GEM-P) chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment (tx). Advanced CC has a dismal prognosis with 5-year survival reported at 5-10 %. Data regarding chemoradiation (CRT) in pts with unresectable CC (uCC) remains limited. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed uCC pts from 1/1/2009 to 7/31/2013. Primary objective: to evaluate the percentage of pts treated with CRT and the median number of chemotherapy cycles given prior to CRT. Secondary objectives: response to first-line tx, progression free survival (PFS) with or without CRT, overall survival (OS) with or without CRT, and duration of CRT control. Inclusion criteria: uCC diagnosis, received tx, and had follow-up at our institution. Exclusion criteria: pts who received liver-directed therapy other than CRT, mixed histology tumors, and a history of other malignancies. Results: 114 pts were included with 62% having intrahepatic CC. Disease control (DC) (response + stable disease) with first-line tx was 75% with 71% receiving GEM-P +/- erlotinib first-line. 65% of pts received CRT with a median of 6 chemotherapy cycles given prior to CRT. DC after CRT was 62% with a median duration of radiation control of 6.4 mths. Median PFS and OS for all pts were 13.4 mths and 27.8 mths, respectively. Median PFS in the CRT group was 14.5 mths versus 11.4 mths in the no CRT group (p = 0.105). Median OS in the CRT cohort was 29.4 mths, while median OS without CRT was 22.4 mths (p = 0.005). Median OS and PFS after CRT for pts with DC on first-line tx were 32.0 months (95% CI = 24-44 mths) and 15.7 mths (95% CI =13.5-18.8 mths), respectively. Pts who progressed on first-line tx and received CRT had a median OS of 23.8 mths (95% CI = 7-30 months) and median PFS of 4.2 mths (95% CI = 2.3-9 mths). Conclusions: Our retrospective review reveals a significant improvement in median OS with CRT in uCC pts. Those with DC on first-line tx showed improvement in PFS and OS with CRT. Patient selection is key with the benefit being highest in pts with DC with first-line tx. Our results warrant further investigation of the role of CRT in uCC.