Prognosis of patients with pT1b/T2 gallbladder carcinoma who have undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy as an initial operation

The optimal extent of surgery in T2 gallbladder cancer and the need for hepatectomy: A meta-analysis

Extensive surgery is the mainstay treatment for gallbladder cancer and offers a long-term survival benefits to the patients. However, the optimal extent of surgery remains debatable. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of hepatectomy and no hepatectomy approaches in patients with T2 gallbladder cancer. We searched the following electronic databases for systematic literature: PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library. We selected studies that compared patients with T2 gallbladder cancer who underwent hepatectomy with those who did not. While the long-term overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were the primary outcomes, perioperative morbidity and mortality were the secondary outcome. We analysed over 18 studies with 4,587 patients. Of the total patients, 1,683 and 1,303 patients underwent hepatectomy and no hepatectomy, respectively. The meta-analysis revealed no significant difference between the hepatectomy and no hepatectomy groups, in terms of the overall morbidity (risk ratio [RR] = 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66-5.20) and 30-day mortality (RR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.1-8.2). The results were comparable in terms of the OS (RR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.57-1.01), (HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.49-1.12), and DFS (RR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.88-1.11). In conclusion, the perioperative and long-term outcomes of hepatectomy and no hepatectomy approaches were comparable. Hepatectomy may not be required in T2 gall bladder cancer if the preoperative evaluation confirms the depth of the tumour in the perimuscular connective tissue and the intraoperative frozen sections confirm microscopic negative margins. Likewise, for those whom gall bladder cancer was diagnosed from the pathological report after simple cholecystectomy, further hepatectomy may not necessary.

Biliary tract cancer

Biliary tract cancers, including intrahepatic, perihilar, and distal cholangiocarcinoma as well as gallbladder cancer, are low-incidence malignancies in most high-income countries, but represent a major health problem in endemic areas; moreover, the incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is rising globally. Surgery is the cornerstone of cure; the optimal approach depends on the anatomical site of the primary tumour and the best outcomes are achieved through management by specialist multidisciplinary teams. Unfortunately, most patients present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Most studies in advanced disease have pooled the various subtypes of biliary tract cancer by necessity to achieve adequate sample sizes; however, differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation, natural history, surgical therapy, response to treatment, and prognosis have long been recognised. Additionally, the identification of distinct patient subgroups harbouring unique molecular alterations with corresponding targeted therapies (such as isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 mutations and fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 fusions in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, among others) is changing the treatment paradigm. In this Seminar we present an update of the causes, diagnosis, molecular classification, and treatment of biliary tract cancer.

The appropriate surgical strategy for T1b gallbladder cancer incidentally diagnosed after a simple cholecystectomy

Backgrounds/Aims

The appropriate surgical treatment was investigated for T1b gallbladder (GB) cancer through a retrospective analysis of the clinical outcomes of patients with incidental T1 GB cancer.

Methods

Patients with T1 GB cancer who were incidentally diagnosed while undergoing a simple cholecystectomy at Chungnam University Hospital from January 2004 to December 2017 were enrolled. Overall, 39 patients with T1 GB cancer, 17 patients with T1a, and 22 patients with T1b were included. We retrospectively analyzed the patients' clinical and pathologic findings and follow-up results.

Results

Among the 6490 patients who underwent cholecystectomy during the study period, 165 patients were diagnosed with GB cancer (T1=42 [25.5%]). The risk factor associated with recurrence and cancer-related death in patients with T1 GB cancer was lymphovascular invasion (recurrence, p=0.028; death, p=0.004). In the T1b group, the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate showed a statistical difference between patients with and without lymphovascular invasion (45.7% vs. 83.6%, p=0.048). There was no statistically significant difference in 5-year DFS and overall survival rate between simple cholecystectomy and extended cholecystectomy in T1b GB cancer with lymphovasular invasion (p=0.054 and p=0.091, respectively).

Conclusions

In incidental T1b GB cancer, extended cholecystectomy was not superior to simple cholecystectomy in terms of the 5-year DFS rate and nor in overall survival rate or recurrence rate, even when lymphovascular invasion was identified after simple cholecystectomy. Therefore, simple cholecystectomy may be recommended as a primary surgical strategy for T1b GB cancer.

Surgical outcome and prognostic factors in patients with gallbladder carcinoma

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS

Gallbladder carcinoma is usually associated with an unfavorable prognosis, and the clinical outcome has not improved much. This study was conducted to evaluate outcomes with gallbladder carcinoma according to the type of surgery performed, and the prognostic factors for survival.

METHODS

One hundred and six patients with gallbladder carcinoma, who underwent surgery for the purpose of curative resection between January 1999 and June 2012 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Out of 106 patients, curative resection was achieved in 75 (70.8%). The cumulative 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rates of the gallbladder carcinoma patients were 93.4%, 80.9% and 63.0%, respectively. Radical resections, including extended cholecystectomy, were more beneficial for long term survival of patients. The 5-year survival rate in patients who underwent curative resection (56.9%) was significantly higher than in those who underwent palliative resection (0%, p=0.000). Multivariate analysis revealed that curative resection, preoperative CA19-9, T-stage, N-stage and differentiation of histology were independently significant prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Curative resection and early detection of patients with gallbladder carcinoma were the most important factors for long term survival. Radical resection improves survival for patients with localized gallbladder carcinoma and can help to access exact prognosis and treatments.