Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder--review of 143 cases

We reviewed a consecutive series of patients with primary cancer of the gallbladder and looked for specific symptoms, signs, laboratory tests, radiological examinations, operative procedures, operative findings and survival.

The records of 143 patients with gallbladder carcinoma operatively treated between 1975 and 1990 were retrospectively reviewed.

Abdominal pain was the most common symptom and present in 72% of our patients. Jaundice was present in 83 patients (58%) and weight loss in 68 (47.5%). The pre-operative diagnosis was made in only 28.7 per cent of the cases. Surgical procedures included cholecystectomy alone (24 patients), cholecystectomy and resection of the hepatic bed (17 patients), and exploration with biopsy or bypass (20 patients). Only 21.5% of patients underwent curative surgery. Overall five year survival rate was 11%. For patients whose tumor was limited to the gallbladder wall (T1, T2, T3), the acturial 5-year survival rate was respectively 100%, 29% and 23%. For patients with T4 and T5 tumor, the 5 year survival rate was nil.