Chemotherapy with gemcitabine in patients with advanced gallbladder carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Advanced or metastatic gallbladder carcinoma is regarded not much sensitive to chemotherapy. Standard chemotherapy regimens have not been established up to now.


METHODS
We report on 5 patients with advanced gallbladder carcinoma who received chemotherapy with gemcitabine.


RESULTS
Of these 5 patients, 3 demonstrated a partial remission and stable disease was achieved in another patient. Only one patient had no benefit from treatment with gemcitabine.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that gemcitabine may be an effective drug in the palliative treatment of gallbladder cancer, and thus its efficiency warrants evaluation in further studies.
Teufel
A
A
Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik der Universität, Heidelberg.
Lehnert
T
T
Stremmel
W
W
Rudi
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine