Review
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2007; 13(25): 3409-3416
Published online Jul 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i25.3409
Table 1 Publications on early bile duct cancers
AuthorYrDepth of invasion
Number of early cancerTotal number of cholangiocarcinoma
MucosaFibromuscular
Tsunoda et al[5]1989358 (6%)146
Yamaguchi[6]1992NC7NM
Mizumoto et al[7]199341014 (8%)171
Bhuiya et al[8]1993NC7 (10%)70
Kurosaki et al[9]1998NC7 (8%)90
Tamada et al[10]2001NC10 (18%)55
Lim et al[11]2006111023 (3%)1742
Cha et al[4]2006164561 (10%)614
Table 2 Suggested definition for early bile duct cancer
Bile duct cancer whose invasion is confined within the fibromuscular layer of the extrahepatic bile duct or intrahepatic large bile duct without distant metastasis irrespective of lymph node involvement
Table 3 Changes in T classification of the AJCC staging for extrahepatic bile duct cancer
AJCC 5th edition[21]AJCC 6th edition[22]
pT
Tumor invasion
pT
Tumor invasion
T1aSubepithelial connective tissueT1Confined to the bile duct
T1bFibromuscular layerT2Beyond the bile duct wall
T2Perifibromuscular connective tissueT3Liver, gallbladder, pancreas
T3Liver, pancreas, gallbladder, stomach, duodenum, colonT4Duodenum, colon, stomach, abdominal wall
Table 4 Changes in T classification of the AJCC staging for intrahepatic bile duct cancer
pTAJCC 5th edition[21]AJCC 6th edition[22]
T1Solitary, ≤ 2 cm, without vascular invasionSolitary, without vascular invasion
T2Solitary, ≤ 2 cm with vascular invasion or multiple, one lobe, ≤ 2 cm without vascular invasionSsolitary, with vascular invasion or multiple ≤ 5 cm
T3Solitary, > 2 cm with vascular invasion or multiple, one lobe, ≤ 2 cm, with vascular invasionMultiple ≥ 5 cm or major portal/hepatic vein branch
T4Multiple, more than one lobe or major portal/hepatic vein branchAdjacent organ or perforation of viscera
Table 5 Clinical characteristics of early bile duct cancer patients[4]
CharacteristicsIntrahepatic EBDCExtrahepatic EBDCTotal
Number of patients233861
Demographic data
Age (yr)59 ± 260 ± 259 ± 1
Gender (male:female)13:1031:744:17
Chief complaints
Asymptomatic14 (23%)10 (16%)24 (39%)
Jaundice010 (16%)10 (16%)
Abdominal pain4 (7%)5 (8%)9 (15%)
Dyspepsia3 (5%)3 (5%)6 (10%)
Others2 (3%)10 (16%)12 (19%)
Associated disease
Hepatolithiasis9 (15%)2 (3%)11 (18%)
Clonorchiasis4 (7%)4 (7%)8 (14%)
Biliary papillomatosis10 (16%)7 (12%)17 (28%)
Choledochal cyst ± AUPBD5 (8%)6 (10%)11 (18%)
Table 6 Macroscopic classification of early bile duct cancer
IG typePI typeMF typeTotal
Cha et al[4]35 (57%)17 (28%)1 (2%)611
Tsunoda et al[5]7 (88%)1 (13%)08
Yamaguchi[6]7 (100%)007
Mizumoto et al[7]10 (71%)3 (21%)1 (7%)14
Tamada et al[10]8 (80%)02 (20%)10
Lim et al[11]10 (47%)1 (5%)2 (10%)21
Kozuka et al[36]7 (54%)5 (39%)1 (8%)13
Table 7 Microscopic classifications and locoregional extensions in early bile duct cancer
Microscopic classification
Locoregional extensions
AdenocaPapillary caOthersLV (+)PN (+)LN (+)
Cha et al[4] (n = 61)41(67%)19 (31%)1 (2%)4 (7%)5 (8%)1 (2%)
Yamaguchi[6] (n = 7)3 (43%)4 (57%)0000
Mizumoto et al[7] (n = 14)6 (43%)8 (57%)01 (7%)00
Kurosaki et al[9] (n = 7)NM2 (29%)00
Tamada et al[10] (n = 10)1 (10%)9 (90%)0NM
Lim et al[11] (n = 21)6 (29%)13 (62%)2 (10%)001 (5%)
Kozuka et al[36] (n = 13)3 (23%)10 (77%)0NM