Prognostic factors in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving chemotherapy

Background/Aims: Prognostic factors in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving chemotherapy have not been fully examined. This study investigated prognostic factors in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving chemotherapy. Methodology: Sixty-five consecutive chemo-naive patients with advanced biliary tract cancer, who received chemotherapy, were analyzed retrospectively to investigate prognostic factors. Results: Median survival time and overall survival rates at 1 and 2 years were 180 days, 21%, and 5%, respectively. By multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model, performance status of 0, 1, serum C-reactive protein level of ≤1.0mg/dL, serum albumin level of ≥3.5g/dL, serum lactate dehydrogenase level of ≤500 U/L, and being female were independent favorable prognostic factors. A prognostic index based on the coefficients of these prognostic factors was used to classify patients into three groups with good, intermediate, and poor prognoses. The median survival times for these three groups were 246, 152, and 33 days, respectively. Conclusions: The results may be helpful for predicting life expectancy, determining treatment strategies, and designing future clinical trials in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.