[A case of effective multidisciplinary treatment for advanced gallbladder carcinoma with distant lymph node...

A 59-year-old woman with upper abdominal pain was diagnosed as having an advanced-stage gallbladder carcinoma with significant metastases in the para-aortic lymph nodes to the more distant right external iliac nodes by imaging studies. These findings suggested that the tumor was unresectable, and therefore, palliative cholecystectomy with lymph node biopsy was performed. Furthermore, we initiated chemoradiotherapy with linac radiotherapy( 50 Gy) and weekly gemcitabine (GEM 300 mg/body) for 6 weeks. Partial response (PR) was achieved after chemoradiotherapy. Subsequently, we initiated chemotherapy with GEM alone (1,000 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, and 15, every 28 days for 15 courses. Following disease progression, we initiated chemotherapy with S-1 alone( 80 mg/m2/day) on days 1-14, every 21 days for 9 courses, as second-line treatment. Two years later, following re-progression of the disease, we performed best supportive care with retrograde ureteral stenting for hydronephrosis and retrograde biliary stenting for obstructive jaundice. The patient survived for 35 months after palliative surgery. Moreover, she remained well and performed normal activities for 34 months. This experience indicates that, in patients with unresectable gallbladder carcinoma, multidisciplinary treatment could extend survival and improve the quality of life.