Factors Affecting Survival Time of Cholangiocarcinoma Patients: A Prospective Study in Northeast Thailand

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a major health problem and cause of death among people in Northeastern Thailand. In this prospective study 171 patients newly diagnosed with CCA by physicians in 5 tertiary hospitals in four provinces of northeastern of Thailand between February and July 2011 were followed up to January 2012. The outcome was survival time from diagnosis to death. A total of 758.4 person-months of follow-up were available. The mortality rate was 16.9 per 100 person-months (95% CI: 14.1-20.1). The median survival time among CCA patients was 4.3 months (95% CI: 3.3-5.1). Cox's proportional hazard model was used to study the independent effects of factors affecting survival time among patients. Statistically significant factors included advanced stage at diagnosis (HR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.7-3.8), presentation with jaundice (HR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.4) or ascites (HR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.8-4.4), and positive serum carcinoembryonic antigen (HR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.3). Patients who had received standard treatment had a better prognosis that those who did not (HR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.7).