Gallbladder carcinoma: a 28 year experience.

Background: Despite the fact that several studies have been conducted to demonstrate advancements in the treatment and prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma, no standard method of treatment has been identified or agreed upon.

Objective: The aim of this study were to review the presentation, staging, treatment and prognosis of subjects with cancer of the gallbladder at Howard University and its affiliated Institutions over the last three decades to see if there were any improvement in the survival.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a 28 year experience at Howard University was performed. Patient gender, age, symptoms, signs, the diagnostic tests, pathology reports, operative and adjuvant treatments of each case were reviewed. A review of the English literature on the subject of gallbladder carcinoma covering the last twenty years using a Medlars search of the subject was also performed. An attempt was made to determine the utility of the various radiological tests used to diagnose and stage gallbladder, cancer.

Results: Patients with Stage I tumors using the Nevin classification had a 100% survival at 5 years. Patients with Stage V had 0% survival at 5 years. Stages II, III and IV had survivals of 51%, 12% and 10% respectively. The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain which was present in 45% of cases. Gallbladder ultrasound studies had a sensitivity of 50% while the CT scanning had a sensitivity of 40% for disease detection. ERCP, when used, had a sensitivity of 75%. Radio and chemotherapy did not influence the survival of patients in this series. The most common surgical procedure performed was cholecystectomy with or without an associated hepatic resection for stage II and III, combined with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusions: The current prognosis of individuals with gallbladder carcinoma is dismal, nevertheless a slightly improvement over the last three decades has been achieved particularly regarding the sensitivity of the radiological tests to diagnosis GBC. Five fluorouracyl may be promising as adjuvant therapy associated with radiotherapy. Consideration should be given to a more aggressive screening with the up-to-date radiological tools, of high risk individuals and early resection of the gallbladder in high risk cases with any findings suggestive of gallbladder cancer.