Improved methods reveal high liver margin cancer rates in surgery

A multicenter study on perihilar cholangiocarcinoma revealed a significant discrepancy in liver margin (lm) resection rates. The discovery cohort showed a lm R1 resection rate of 38.6%, compared to 5.6% in the control cohort, indicating that whole-mount digital large sections (WDLS) identify more R1 cases. Additionally, carcinoma was predominantly within 20 mm of the proximal ductal margin, with a distance of less than 5 mm posing a higher R1 risk. Better examination methods enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.