[Successful treatment with tegafur and PSK in a patient with gallbladder cancer]

A 56-year-old man was admitted to Miyazaki Prefectural Hospital with a complaint of pain in the right upper quadrant. The liver was moderately enlarged on palpation with tenderness in the upper abdomen. Ultrasonography and abdominal CT showed gallbladder tumor with multiple space-occupying lesions in the liver. In addition, serum levels of CEA and CA19-9 were markedly elevated. These findings suggested gallbladder cancer with liver metastasis, and he was soon started on tegafur rectally (1,000 mg/day) and PSK orally (3.0 g/day). Two months later, the lesions in the liver almost disappeared, although little change in size of the gallbladder tumor was noted. This condition lasted for 6 months indicating partial response. Subsequently, he died of liver failure 14 months after the start of treatment. Since few antineoplastic agents have been reported to be effective against gallbladder cancer, tegafur and PSK might be a good combination for this disease.