Successful R0 resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma by extrahepatic bile duct resection due to accompanying liver dysfunction after neoadjuvant gemcitabine/cisplatin/S-1 combination chemotherapy-a case report

A 79-year-old man was referred to our hospital for treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma with pathological evidence. FDG-PET/CT and EUS-FNA revealed regional lymph node metastasis and no distant metastasis before the treatment. He received 6 courses of neoadjuvant gemcitabine/cisplatin/S-1 combination chemotherapy, and the imaging studies revealed partial response. However, due to impairment of the liver after chemotherapy, it was difficult to perform subsequent major hepatectomy, and we decided to continue the chemotherapy. The impairment of the liver did not recover following 11 courses of chemotherapy; on the other hand, FDG uptake was diminished on FDG-PET, and cancer cells were not detected by repeated cytology and biopsy. Extrahepatic bile duct resection with dissection of regional lymph nodes was performed, and histopathological examination of the resected specimen suggested RO resection.