Gallbladder cancer: a subtype of biliary tract cancer which is a current challenge in China.
Biliary tract cancers, broadly described as malignancies that arise from the biliary tract epithelia, are usually divided into two major clinical phenotypes: cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer, differing in etiopathogenesis, risk factors, and perhaps molecular and genetic signatures. Atypical symptoms and lack of tumor biomarkers make it difficult to diagnose in early stages. At the time of presentation, few patients are candidates for potentially curative surgical resection. We here assessed and compared features of a total of 150 cases divided into extra- and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers (GBC). Although there were no significant differences in serum tumour marker levels, GBC patients had the poorest prognosis. Furthermore, gallbladder cancer respond poorly to chemotherapy or radiation therapy and approximately half of untreated patients died within 10 months. Therefore, treatment for patients with gallbladder cancer is still in challenge. Outcomes and survival of these patients had improved little over the past three decades - a period in which new successful treatments have greatly contributed to the prolonged patient survival for many other cancers.
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Kai
K
Qu
Si-Nan
SN
Liu
Hu-Lin
HL
Chang
Chang
C
Liu
Xin-Sen
XS
Xu
Rui-Tao
RT
Wang
Lei
L
Zhou
Feng
F
Tian
Ji-Chao
JC
Wei
Ming-Hui
MH
Tai
Fan-Di
FD
Meng
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002681:China; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins