To evaluate the influence of adjuvant therapy with capecitabine on long-term outcomes in patients who underwent surgical resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), particularly in the context of the BILCAP trial.
Key Findings:
334 patients were included, with 254 undergoing resection and 80 deemed irresectable.
After PSM, two groups of 75 patients were analyzed.
Median overall survival was 20.5 months for the pre-BILCAP group and 29.1 months for the post-BILCAP group (p = 0.351), indicating no significant difference.
Time to recurrence (TTR) was significantly better in the post-BILCAP group (median 21.3 months vs. 10.8 months, p = 0.019).
Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was also significantly better in the post-BILCAP group (median 10.7 months vs. 8.6 months, p = 0.029).
Interpretation:
The study did not demonstrate a significant effect of adjuvant therapy with capecitabine on overall survival, but it showed significant improvements in time to recurrence and recurrence-free survival, suggesting potential benefits in managing ICC.
Limitations:
Retrospective design limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions about treatment exposure to capecitabine, introducing potential biases.
Incomplete data regarding adjuvant therapy administration due to the surgical focus of the cohort.
Conclusion:
Further observation is necessary to detect the potential long-term benefits of adjuvant therapy with capecitabine on recurrence-free survival and time to recurrence, highlighting the need for ongoing research in this area.
by Fabian Bartsch, Constantin Scholz, Lisa-Katharina Gröger, Lara Bachmann, Janine Baumgart, Ann-Kathrin Lederer, Jens Mittler, Maria Hoppe-Lotichius, Beate K. Straub, Friedrich Foerster, Arndt Weinmann, Evangelos Tagkalos, Hauke Lang
