A retrospective analysis of patients with gallbladder cancer: surgical treatment and survival according to tumor stage.

INTRODUCTION: gallbladder cancer is the most common biliary neoplasm and the sixth most common tumor of the digestive system. The disease has an ominous prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 5%. It is usually diagnosed late and surgical resection is the only potential cure.

METHODS: a retrospective study was carried out in 92 patients with a pathological diagnosis of gallbladder cancer from January 2000 to January 2016.

RESULTS: the mean age of cases was 72 ± 11 years; 64 subjects were females and 28 were males. Symptoms at admission included abdominal pain (78%), anorexia (77%), nausea (76%) and jaundice (45%). Surgery was indicated in 92 (100%) patients and 59 (64%) underwent a curative/intent resection. The initial surgical procedures included simple cholecystectomy in 69 (75%) cases and extended cholecystectomy in eleven (11%) subjects. Rescue surgery was performed in 15 patients with tumor tissue in the cholecystectomy specimen; ten individuals underwent an R0 curative resection. Adjuvant therapy was administered in 30 (33%) patients. The median survival in our series was 12.5 months, with survival rates of 57%, 30% and 20% at one, three and five years, respectively.

CONCLUSION: to conclude, surgical treatment with a complete tumor resection should be considered for all patients, provided that their clinical status allows it.