ASO Author Reflections: Impact of Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus in Hepatocellular Carcinoma—Does it Influence Staging Systems?

Abstract

Compared with the frequency of vascular invasion, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is relatively rare and poorly characterized. Although surgical resection is the preferred treatment for HCC with BDTT, the impact of BDTT on prognosis after surgery remains unknown. Although the biological features of BDTT are likely similar to those of portal vein tumor thrombus, whether BDTT affects the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system also remains unknown. We thus focused on the prognosis of HCC patients with BDTT after surgery and the impact of BDTT on the AJCC staging system.