A Comparison Between the Prognosis of Simultaneous and Salvage Radical Resection in Incidental Gallbladder Cancer

Gallbladder cancer: surgical treatment, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy

Gallbladder cancer is a common type of biliary tract tumor. Optimal management for early stage cases typically involves radical excision as the primary treatment modality. Various surgical techniques, including laparoscopic, robotic, and navigational surgery, have demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes in radical gallbladder excision. Unfortunately, most patients are ineligible for surgical intervention because of the advanced stage of the disease upon diagnosis. Consequently, non-surgical interventions, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, have become the mainstay of treatment for patients in advanced stages. This review focuses on elucidating various surgical techniques as well as advancements in immunotherapy and targeted therapy in the context of recent advancements in gallbladder cancer research.

Long-term results and prognostic factors after surgical treatment for gallbladder cancer

Objectives

Gallbladder cancer is relatively rare and traditionally regarded as having poor prognosis. There is controversy about the effects of clinicopathological features and different surgical techniques on prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of clinicopathological characteristics of the patients with surgically treated gallbladder cancer on long-term survival.

Material and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the database of gallbladder cancer patients treated at our clinic between January 2003 and March 2021.

Results

Of 101 evaluated cases, 37 were inoperable. Twelve patients were determined unresectable based on surgical findings. Resection with curative intent was performed in 52 patients. The one-, three-, five-, and 10-year survival rates were 68.9%, 51.9%, 43.6%, and 43.6%, respectively. Median survival was 36.6 months. On univariate analysis, poor prognostic factors were determined as advanced age; high carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen levels; non-incidental diagnosis; intraoperative incidental diagnosis; jaundice; adjacent organ/structure resection; grade 3 tumors; lymphovascular invasion; and high T, N1 or N2, M1, and high AJCC stages. Sex, IVb/V segmentectomy instead of wedge resection, perineural invasion, tumor location, number of resected lymph nodes, and extended lymphadenectomy did not significantly affect overall survival. On multivariate analysis, only high AJCC stages, grade 3 tumors, high carcinoembryonic antigen levels, and advanced age were independent predictors of poor prognosis.

Conclusion

Treatment planning and clinical decision-making for gallbladder cancer requires individualized prognostic assessment along with standard anatomical staging and other confirmed prognostic factors.

Current management of incidental gallbladder cancer: A review

Early-stage gallbladder cancer (GBC) is mostly discovered incidentally by the pathologist after cholecystectomy for a presumed benign disease. It is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract with a variable incidence rate all over the World. The majority of patients with GBC remain asymptomatic for a long time and diagnosis is usually late when the disease is at an advanced stage. Radical surgery consisting in resection of the gallbladder liver bed and regional lymph nodes seems to be the best treatment option for incidental GBC. However, recurrence rates after salvage surgery are still high and the addition of neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy may improve outcomes. The aim of the present review is to evaluate current literature for advances in management of incidental GBC, with particular focus on staging techniques and surgical options.

Prediction of Early Recurrence After R0 Resection for Gallbladder Carcinoma of Stage T1b-T3

Purpose

The time-to-tumor recurrence can predict the prognosis of hepatobiliary cancers following curative-intent resection. Therefore, for patients with gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) of stage T1b–T3 who had undergone R0 resection, we investigated the risk factors for early recurrence of GBC and their prognosis.

Patients and Methods

A total of 260 patients with GBC with T1b–T3 disease and an R0 margin were identified. Their clinicopathologic characteristics, perioperative details and prognostic data were reviewed. Survival analyses were carried out using the Kaplan–Meier method. Logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors for early recurrence.

Results

The optimal cutoff for early recurrence was 29 months. Early recurrence tended to result in relapse far from the primary tumor, and such patients tended to have significantly worse overall survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that T3 disease, N1/N2 stage, poor differentiation of tumor, and lymphovascular invasion (LI) were associated with a greater risk of early recurrence. Patients diagnosed as having GBC incidentally and who had the risk factors of early recurrence were more likely to benefit from re-resection 2–4 weeks after a cholecystectomy.

Conclusion

T3 stage, N1–N2 stage, poor differentiation, and LI were independent risk factors associated with early recurrence for patients with GBC with stage T1b–T3 disease after R0 resection.