Survival Comparisons of Radiofrequency Ablation and different Surgical Procedures in Patients with Stage I Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: a Population-based Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background This study aims to investigate the impacts of different surgical procedures on the survival outcome of patients with early-stage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods We analyzed 1447 early-stage ICC patients retrieved from the SEER database. The Kaplan–Meier method with log-rank tests was used to assess the differences in survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to adjust the confounding bias. Then, we performed subgroup analyses of Stage T1a and T1b patients. Results Minor or major resections show the best survival advantage in patients with early-stage ICC. However, patients who underwent extended resection and radiofrequency ablation offered a chance for long-term survival and exhibited significantly better survival than those without surgery. Subgroup analyses indicated that patients who underwent extended resection had better survival outcome compared to those who underwent radiofrequency ablation in Stage T1b patients but not in Stage T1a patients. Conclusions Minor or major resection is the prime surgical choice in patients with early-stage ICC. For patients who is unsuitable minor and major resection, it is recommended to perform extended resection in the Stage T1b subgroup and radiofrequency ablation in the Stage T1a subgroup.