Time to Surgery Does Not Affect the Survival Outcome in Patients with Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma

The impact of time to surgery (TTS) on survival in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) is uncertain.

Data from PHC patients scheduled for surgery between 2011 and 2020 were reviewed. Patients were grouped based on the median TTS, defined as the time from diagnosis to surgery. Survival outcomes were analyzed for all patients and those undergoing potentially curative resection (resection without distant metastasis).

Of 224 patients, the median TTS was 64 days (range 19–212), with the patients being divided into two groups: long-TTS group (TTS ≥64 days, n = 116) and short-TTS group (TTS <64 days, n = 108). The long-TTS group showed higher rates of preoperative biliary infection (52% vs. 33%; p = 0.004) and portal vein embolization (84% vs. 49%; p < 0.001) compared with the short-TTS group. Forty-seven patients (18%) had unresectable tumors or distant metastasis, with a median overall survival (OS) of 18 months. The rate of potentially curative resection tended to be lower in the long-TTS group (74%) compared with the short-TTS group (84%), although it was not statistically significant (p = 0.063). However, OS for the entire cohort was comparable between the long-TTS and short-TTS groups (median OS 40 vs. 36 months; p = 0.986). Multivariable analysis revealed that TTS was not associated with survival in patients who underwent potentially curative resection.

Although the potentially curative resection rate tended to be lower in the long-TTS group, TTS did not impact survival in patients undergoing potentially curative resection for PHC.