Natalia Soledad Tissera, VHIO, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Spain, presented her poster at ESMO GI 2026.
Preoperative predictors of early and very early recurrence after curative-intent resection for cholangiocarcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
“Hello, my name is Natalia Tisera from the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain. Today at the ESMO GI Congress, I am presenting a meta-analysis on preoperative predictive factors for very early and early recurrence in cholangiocarcinoma.
Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare disease, and only about 20% of patients are eligible for surgical resection. However, approximately 50% of patients experience recurrence within the first three years, with 30% relapsing during the first year after surgery. The reasons for these early recurrences remain unclear.
To address this question, we conducted a meta-analysis of 17 studies including 4,270 patients. One of the main challenges was that most of the included studies were retrospective.
Our analysis identified the most consistent preoperative predictors of early recurrence (within 12 months) in adjusted analyses as:
- Suspicious lymph node metastasis.
- Elevated CA19-9 levels.
For very early recurrence (within 6 months), lymph node metastasis was again the strongest and most consistent predictive factor.
Subgroup analyses by geographic region, cholangiocarcinoma subtype, and sample size showed no significant differences.
In conclusion, the most important preoperative predictors of recurrence were:
- Suspicious lymph nodes on imaging.
- Tumor size.
- Macrovascular invasion.
- Elevated CA19-9.
These findings suggest that additional studies are needed to better identify patients who may benefit from alternative strategies, such as preoperative treatment, before surgery. Further prospective research is needed to improve patient selection and optimize treatment approaches.
Thank you very much.”
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