Aggressive surgical approach for stage IV gallbladder carcinoma based on Japanese Society of Biliary Surgery classification.
OBJECTIVE
The role of aggressive surgery for stage IV gallbladder carcinoma remains controversial. Survival and prognostic factors were analyzed in patients with stage IV disease, based on the Japanese Society of Biliary Surgery (JSBS) classification, to identify the group of patients who could benefit from radical surgery.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was done of 79 patients with JSBS stage IV gallbladder carcinoma who had undergone surgical resection with curative intent at our institution. The standard procedures were anatomical S4a + S5 subsegmentectomy (n = 29) with extrahepatic bile duct resection and extended lymphadectomy, but when right Glisson's sheath and/or the hepatic hilum were involved, right extended hepatectomy (n = 34) or right trisegmentectomy (n = 3) was selected. To achieve a tumor-free margin combined pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 12 patients, and major vascular resection in 17 patients.


RESULTS
In the patients with stage IV gallbladder carcinoma, the curative resection rate was 65.8% and the hospital mortality rate was 11.4%. The postoperative 5-year survival rate following curative resection was 13.7%. Univariate analysis indicated that curability, hepatoduodenal ligament invasion, nodal involvement, and vascular resection were significant prognostic factors. Neither hepatic invasion nor liver metastasis was a significant factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Aggressive surgical resection should be considered even in stage IV patients when hepatoduodenal ligament invasion and nodal involvement are absent or limited. Acceptable survival may be expected among such patients only when curative resection is achieved.
Shimizu
Hiroaki
H
Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-0856, Japan.
Kimura
Fumio
F
Yoshidome
Hiroyuki
H
Ohtsuka
Masayuki
M
Kato
Atsushi
A
Yoshitomi
Hideaki
H
Nozawa
Satoshi
S
Furukawa
Katunori
K
Mitsuhashi
Noboru
N
Takeuchi
Dan
D
Suda
Kosuke
K
Yoshioka
Isaku
I
Miyazaki
Masaru
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate