Common controversies in the management of gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer is a rare and lethal malignancy. Most patients are best served at high-volume centers of excellence, where they are likely to receive evidence-based care derived from a multidisciplinary approach. Surgical resection is recommended for early-stage disease, whereas if the disease is unresectable, the treatment options include biliary drainage, gemcitabine-based combination chemotherapy, fluoropyrimidine chemoradiation, clinical trial enrollment, or best supportive care. While treatment by T-stage is straightforward in many cases, the debate regarding simple versus radical cholecystectomy is still active for patients with T1b disease. Other controversies exist over the necessity of resecting the bile duct and port sites, the extent of lymph node dissection and hepatic resections, and the value of resection for patients with jaundice.