Red Cell Distribution Width and Gallbladder Cancer: Is It Really Useful?

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Hematology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Red cell distribution width (RDW) is an indicator of erythrocyte size variation.
• Limited data exists on the prognostic value of RDW in gallbladder cancer, particularly in patients eligible for surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic significance of RDW in patients with gallbladder cancer undergoing surgical treatment.
• To investigate the association between RDW and survival outcomes in resectable gallbladder cancer.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database from 2010-2018.
• Inclusion of 605 patients who underwent surgery for gallbladder cancer.
• Comparison of outcomes based on median RDW values using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

Main Results:

• RDW did not predict overall survival or recurrence in the overall cohort.
• A median RDW value of 14 was observed.
• In stages II and III combined, a lower RDW (<14) was significantly associated with improved overall survival and disease-free survival (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• RDW is not a reliable predictor of recurrence or survival in potentially resectable gallbladder cancer.
• Lower RDW values may indicate better outcomes in a specific subset of patients with stages II and III gallbladder cancer.
• Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm the prognostic role of RDW in gallbladder cancer.