Long-Term Outcomes and Exploratory Analyses of the Randomized Phase III BILCAP Study.

Purpose: The BILCAP study described a modest benefit for capecitabine as adjuvant therapy for curatively resected biliary tract cancer (BTC), and capecitabine has become the standard of care. We present the long-term data and novel exploratory subgroup analyses.

Methods: This randomized, controlled, multicenter, phase III study recruited patients age 18 years or older with histologically confirmed cholangiocarcinoma or muscle-invasive gallbladder cancer after resection with curative intent and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of < 2.

Microscopic resection margins adversely influence survival rates after surgery for colorectal liver metastases: An open ambidirectional Cohort Study.

Background: Liver resection is the most effective treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs). Patients with tumour at the resection margin (R1) are reported to have worse survival compared to those with an uninvolved resection margin (R0). Recent data has questioned this finding.

Capecitabine compared with observation in resected biliary tract cancer (BILCAP): a randomised, controlled, multicentre, phase 3 study.

Background: Despite improvements in multidisciplinary management, patients with biliary tract cancer have a poor outcome. Only 20% of patients are eligible for surgical resection with curative intent, with 5-year overall survival of less than 10% for all patients. To our knowledge, no studies have described a benefit of adjuvant therapy.

Prognostic significance of pre-operative inflammatory markers in resected gallbladder cancer: a systematic review.

Background: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) have demonstrated good prognostic value in several cancers but their role in gallbladder cancer (GBC) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to systematically review the current literature to determine their role in predicting survival outcomes in GBC.

Methods: Using a pre-specified inclusive search strategy MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases were used to identify studies describing survival in patients after GBC resection with high or low pre-operative CRP, GPS or NLR.

Intraoperative ultrasound for the colorectal surgeon: current trends and barriers.

Up to two thirds of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) develop colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) and one quarter of patients present with synchronous metastases. Early detection of CRLM widens the scope of potential treatment. Surgery for CRLM offers the best chance of a cure.