title: Gall bladder cancer in north eastern Libya.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of gall bladder cancer among cholecystectomy specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of all cholecystectomy specimens coupled with data from clinical oncology department.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Pathology and Department of Clinical Oncology, Al Arab Medical University, Benghazi, Libya.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gall bladder cancer among cholecystectomies and the pattern of survival of these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histopathology records available on all cholecystectomies performed between 1982 and 1997. Data available on staging and survival of cancer patients from clinical oncology upto 1996.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty nine cases of gall bladder cancer were found out of 7352 cholecystectomies performed over a period of 16 years. It was found more commonly in females with a mean age of 58.1 years. It was also observed that the incidence in males above 60 years was almost equal to that of females. Gall bladder cancer when primarily detected by the pathologist in cholecystectomy specimens removed for symptomatic cholelithiasis, was mostly in stage I. Most of the patients in stage III-IV cancer died within one year whereas most of the stage I cancer patients survived more than two years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simple cholecystectomy is strongly advised in women above 50 years of age and in men above 60 years of age with symptomatic cholelithiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Al Arab Medical University, Benghazi, Libya.
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Sarma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Gahukamble
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Fituri
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mangal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008002:Libya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis