title: Gallbllader cancer: 10 years of experience at an Amazon reference hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the epidemiological aspects of surgical patients with gallbladder cancer (GC) enrolled in a University Hospital in Bethlehem (State of Pará - PA), in the period 1999-2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  observational, retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of secondary sources of patients with GC in the period 1999-2009. We analyzed 75 medical records, with 34 patients studied. The information collected was used for the TNM tumor staging of GC and to characterize the clinical and surgical population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  79% were female, mean age 66.2 ± 11 years and duration of symptoms was 10.8 ± 17.2 months, with no statistical relationship with the stage of disease. Pain in right upper quadrant, nausea and jaundice prevailed as signs / symptoms. Gallstones were present in 91% of cases and were positive in 100% of patients with stage I / II. The sensitivity of ultrasound to preoperatively suggest GC was 14.28%. The simplest operation performed was cholecystectomy, with the predominant intraoperative finding being hepatic invasion. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant histologic type, especially for stages III and IV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed high incidence of gallstone disease. Advanced stage adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent. This resulted in a low rate of operations with curative intent, in 30% of the patients, and a mortality rate of 21%. The appreciation of symptoms and early investigation by imaging could facilitate treatment in early stages of GC, providing a better prognosis for patients.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgia Geral e do Aparelho Digestivo, HUJBB, Belém, PA, BR. geishak@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Geraldo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ishak
authors.forename: Felipe Soares
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Daniel Souza da
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Leandro Augusto Costa
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bahia
authors.forename: Everton Mesquita
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Paulo Pimentel de
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Assumpção
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors