Background:

The majority of patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and are unresectable. Longterm survival is usually seen in a subset of patients with early GBC (EGBC)—cancer confined to the mucosa (pT1a) and muscularis (pT1b). Management guidelines of EGBC are not yet defined and are controversial. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the diagnostic aspects and effects of resectional procedures on survival outcome in patients with EGBC.

Study Design:

EGBC was defined as cancer confined to the mucosa (pT1a) or muscularis (pT1b) according to the TNM classification. Clinicopathological details and survival data of 14 patients who had EGBC were analyzed. There were 9 women and 5 men, with a mean age of 60 years.

Results:

A definite preoperative diagnosis was possible in only three patients and three patients were diagnosed at surgery; the majority of patients were diagnosed incidentally after cholecystectomy for associated gallstones. Two patients underwent extended cholecystectomy and 12 patients underwent simple cholecystectomy. Two patients had pT1a and 12 had pT1b lesions. Mean (SD) survival was 71.5 (12.2) months and median survival was 42 months. There were five treatment failures with locoregional recurrence and death. All patients with pT1b tumors were treated by simple cholecystectomy. Cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival was 92%, 68%, and 68% respectively.

Conclusions:

Simple cholecystectomy is an adequate treatment only for mucosal GBC. Patients with pT1b tumors require extended cholecystectomy. Incidental GBC extending up to the muscularis merits early reoperation for completion of extended cholecystectomy, which offers the only chance of cure.