The document discusses hilar cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a rare and deadly form of cancer. It defines hilar CCA and describes its risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation including imaging and tumor markers, and treatment approaches. For treatment, it discusses staging systems, criteria for resectability, preoperative evaluation and biliary drainage, surgical resection techniques including lymphadenectomy, the role of adjuvant chemotherapy, and palliative options. Complete surgical resection with negative margins offers the only chance for cure, but postoperative outcomes remain poor due to the advanced stage at diagnosis and high rate of recurrence.
Related topics: