Does aggressive surgical resection improve the outcome in advanced gallbladder carcinoma?

Patients with advanced gallbladder carcinoma have usually been considered nonresectable, leading to a very poor outcome. This study was aimed to evaluate the results of our aggressive surgical approaches in certain cases of advanced gallbladder carcinoma.

Ninety-one patients with advanced gallbladder carcinoma of stages pT3 and pT4 who underwent surgery at our institution were the subjects of this study. Fifty-eight of 91 patients had surgical excision; 44 by hepatic resection and 14 by hilar resection. Post-operative outcome was evaluated. Advanced gallbladder carcinomas were classified according to our previously reported classification: type I hepatic; type II biliary; type III hepatobiliary; type IV others.

Curative resection was obtained at a more increased rate in type I tumor patients than in types II and III (91% vs. 29%, p < 0.01). The surgical mortality rate was 17%. Survival rates of resected patients were significantly higher that those of nonresected patients: 45%, 31%, 22%, 17%, 13% at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years vs. 9%, 9%, 0% at 1, 2, 3 years (p < 0.01). Survival rates of type I tumor patients after curative resection were remarkably higher than those of type II and III tumor patients, (69%, 64%, 56%, 48%, 39% at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years vs. 17%, 17%, 0% at 1, 2, 3 years).

Aggressive surgical approaches might bring about improved prognosis in advanced gallbladder carcinoma, especially for patients with type I tumors.