Published online Jul 15, 2013. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v5.i7.113
Revised: June 16, 2013
Accepted: July 4, 2013
Published online: July 15, 2013
Processing time: 141 Days and 18.7 Hours
Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC) is a rare tumor. It accounts for 2/3 of the tumors of the biliary tract. Untreated, prognosis is very poor. Surgery is the only therapy that offers the possibility of cure but is technically very complex. With recent improvements in the therapeutic strategies applied by multidisciplinary teams, survival rates in the different series currently range from 25% to 45%. A group of experts devoted to HC (pathologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, surgeons and oncologists) have reviewed and updated every open question in HC in a special issue.
Core tip: Most remarked avances are: imaging methods have improved diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, especially for determining biliary and vascular involvement; there have been several proposals to improve the classic Bismuth-Corlette classification; pre- and post-operative care; technical aspects trying to obtain a R0 resection: widespread use of liver resection, resection of segment I and venous and arterial resection, refinement of post-operative histology and adjuvant therapies.