Clinical and pathological features of early gallbladder carcinoma

Background: There is little information ABOUT the behavior of early gallbla dder carcinoma. Aim: To report the clinical and pathological features of 19 6 patients with early gallbladder carcinoma. Material and methods: All pati ents with gallbladder cancer diagnosed between 1988 and 1997 were reviewed. In 703 of 829 patients, there was information about clinical features and follow tip, and were included in this study. All gallbladders we re: subjec ted to it complete mapping. When neoplastic cells involved only the mucosa or muscular layer; the tumors were considered as early. Results: One hunche d ninety six patients had an early carcinoma (161 women, aged 57.5 years an d 35 male, aged 63.4 years). One hundred twenty eight donors were located i n the mucosa and 68 in the muscular layer. Patients with tumors involving t he mucosa were younger than those with ti mars involving the muscular layer . All tumors were adenocarcinomas, 66% were well differentiated and 32% mod erately differentiated. Tumors were not visible macroscopically in 132 case s. Five and 10 years is survival was 92%. Subjects of less than 40 years ol d had a 100% survival at 5 years. A hepatic and lymph node resection was do ne in 12 patients with tumors infiltrating the muscular layer but in only o ne, the tumor infiltrated the liver. No difference in survival was observed when a simple cholecystectomy yr radical surgery was done. Conclusions: Ne arly 25% of gallbladder carcinomas cart be classified cis early and its dia gnosis requires et directed study. Simple cholecystectomy is curative for t his tape of gallbladder cancer.