[Surgical treatment for advanced gallbladder cancer: indications and limitations]

We have aggressively performed extensive surgery including major liver resection for advanced gallbladder cancer since 1979. The 5-year survival rates for stage IVa and IVb patients after curative resection were 19% and 6%, respectively. Seven patients in the stage IVa group (n = 69) and one in stage IVb (n = 16) have survived for more than 5 years. The hospital mortality rate including all deaths within and over 30 days of curative operation for stage IV gallbladder cancer was 19%. Although radical resection is the only treatment of choice for advanced gallbladder cancer to obtain long-term survival, there are serious problems in extensive surgery. The most important issue is reduction of the hospital mortality rate. Elucidation of the clinical and molecular characteristics leading to potential long-term survival and development of new strategies for the treatment of recurrent tumors are also important issues.