An ABC approach for preoperative staging in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma An international multicenter cohort study

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Background & Aims Curative-intent surgery in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is associated with substantial surgical risks and high early-recurrence rates. This study aimed to develop an ABC system for preoperative staging of patients with pCCA. Methods This retrospective international multicenter cohort study included patients with resected pCCA across 27 participating centers from 9 countries (2006–2022). The prognostic performance of the ABC system for overall survival (OS) and recurrence was assessed using multivariable (cause-specific) Cox regression. Results Among 1307 included patients (median age, 66 [IQR, 57 to 73] years), independent prognostic factors for OS were: tumor size ≥25 mm (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.32 [95% CI, 1.13 to 1.55]; P=0.0003), CA19-9 ≥500 U/mL (aHR, 1.49 [1.22 to 1.81]; P<0.0001), and WHO performance status ≥1 (aHR, 1.35 [1.12–1.63]; P=0.002). The ABC score for OS consisted of 1 point for each independent prognostic factor (0–3 points); the ABC score for recurrence did not include WHO PS ≥1 (0–2 points). Compared to the ABC-0 group, the highest ABC risk group had a 3.4 times higher 90-day mortality risk (21 vs 6%; P=0.005), a 3.3 times higher 6-month recurrence rate (18 vs 5%; P<0.0001), a 3.0 times shorter median OS (13 vs 39 months; P=0.0001), and a 3.6 times lower 5-year OS rate (11 vs 35%; P=0.018). The prognostic value of the ABC score for OS remained similar in a sensitivity analysis including only patients with a resection post-2015 (P interaction =0.90). Conclusions Following the ABC system, we should be reluctant to offer resection to patients with an ABC score of 3 with a tumor size ≥25 mm, CA19-9 ≥500 U/mL, and a WHO PS ≥1.