[Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of malignant tumors of the liver and extrahepatic bile ducts in the last 20 years].

188 patients with primary malignant tumors of the liver, gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts are reported. Changes in diagnostics, treatment and survival were analyzed in comparing three periods: 1959-1966, 1967-1974, 1975-1980. A significant improvement of the patient's prognosis could be observed, but this was only based on a decrease of hospital mortality. Radical tumor resection offers the only hope for long-term survival in patients with primary liver tumor. In contrast the carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct should be rather treated by palliative surgery. In the case of gallbladder carcinoma the prognosis was already hopeless if the tumor was detected macroscopically during surgery.