Feasibility of S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy after major hepatectomy for biliary tract cancers: An exploratory subset analysis of JCOG1202

Eur J Surg Oncol. 2024 Feb;50(2):107324. doi: 10.1016/j.ejso.2023.107324. Epub 2023 Dec 20.

Abstract

Introduction: Major hepatectomy (MH) may produce the impaired liver function and affect the feasibility of adjuvant chemotherapy in terms of early period after the surgery, but there have not been detailed investigations. JCOG1202 (UMIN000011688) is a randomized phase III trial demonstrating the superiority of adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy for biliary tract cancer (BTC). The aim of this study is to examine the influence of MH for BTC on adjuvant S-1.

Materials and methods: Of the total 424 patients, 207 received S-1 (S-1 arm) while the remaining 217 were not. We compared MH with non-major hepatectomy (NMH) for BTC.

Results: In the S-1 arm, 42 had undergone MH, and 165 had undergone NMH. MH had similar pretreatment features to NMH, including the proportion of biliary reconstruction, to NMH, except for a lower platelet count (17.7 vs. 23.4 × 104/mm3, p < 0.0001) and lower serum albumin level (3.5 vs. 3.8 g/dL, p < 0.0001). The treatment completion proportion tended to be lower for MH than for NMH (59.5 % vs. 75.8 %; risk ratio, 0.786 [95 % confidence interval, 0.603-1.023], p = 0.0733), and the median dose intensity was lower as well (88.7 % vs. 99.6 %, p = 0.0358). The major reasons for discontinuation were biliary tract infections and gastrointestinal disorders after MH. The frequency of grade 3-4 biliary tract infection was 19.0 % in MH vs. 4.2 % in NMH.

Conclusion: The treatment completion proportion and dose intensity were lower in MH than in NMH. Caution should be exercised against biliary tract infections and gastrointestinal disorders during adjuvant S-1 after MH for BTC.

Keywords: Adjuvant chemotherapy; Biliary tract cancer; major hepatectomy; s-1.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Biliary Tract Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Biliary Tract Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases* / drug therapy
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases* / surgery
  • Hepatectomy
  • Humans
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic