Curative resection in potentially resectable tumours of the gallbladder.
OBJECTIVE
To study the value of surgical treatment in patients with potentially resectable gallbladder cancer.


METHODS
Prospective non-randomised study.


METHODS
University hospital, Chile.


METHODS
109 Patients with gallbladder cancers, most of which were detected in the cholecystectomy specimen.


METHODS
53 Patients underwent reoperation with the aim of doing a lymphadenectomy and resecting the gallbladder bed.


METHODS
Morbidity and short and long term mortality


RESULTS
Residual tumour after cholecystectomy was mainly observed in patients with serosal and adipose tissue infiltration. Lymph nodes and liver invasion were associated with recurrence. Survival analysis was focused on the group with subserosal infiltration because it is the largest subgroup in this study and prognosis is intermediate. Patients who underwent curative resection had a significantly better survival than those treated by simple cholecystectomy (p = 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Extended cholecystectomy improved the prognosis of patients whose cancers were restricted to the subserosal layer. Additional treatments are necessary to improve the results obtained with operation alone.
de Aretxabala
X A
XA
Department of Surgery, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
Roa
I S
IS
Burgos
L A
LA
Araya
J C
JC
Villaseca
M A
MA
Silva
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000379:methods; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D015996:Survival Rate