LONG-TERM SURVIVORS AFTER SALVAGE SURGERY COMBINED WITH RADIOTHERAPY FOR RECURRENCE OF STAGE-IV MAIN HEPATIC DUCT CANCER - REPORT OF 2 CASES

Main hepatic duct cancer is notorious for its poor prognosis and frequ ent locoregional failure of therapy even after curative resection. In this paper, two cases of recurrent carcinoma of the stage IVA main hep atic duct are presented. One patient had local failure 13 years after curative resection of the tumor and the other had regional failure 18 months after combination treatment with non-curative resection and int ra-operative radiation therapy. Recurrent tumors were successfully tre ated with combined resection and postoperative radiation therapy or wi th combined intra-operative radiation therapy and postoperative radiat ion therapy. The patients are well 16.9 and 6.3 years, respectively, a fter primary tumor resection. We briefly review a number of other repo rts of salvage treatment in patients with recurrent carcinoma of the m ain hepatic ducts and discuss the results with particular reference to the advantage of salvage therapy for the main hepatic duct cancer.