Early gallbladder carcinoma: A single-center experience

Aims and background: Controversy continues regarding the best surgical treatment for early gallbladder carcinoma defined as a tumor confined to the mucosa (pT1a) or to the muscularis propria (pT1b) according to the TNM classification. This study evaluates the effectiveness of different surgical approaches in patients with early gallbladder carcinoma in terms of long-term survival. Materials and methods: From 1980 to 2001, 175 patients with gallbladder carcinoma were admitted to our department. Fifteen of them underwent resections for early gallbladder carcinoma: 4 patients for pT1a tumors and 11 patients for pT1b tumors. All patients with pT1a tumors and 8 patients with pT1b tumors underwent simple cholecystectomy. The remaining 3 patients with pT1b tumors underwent extended cholecystectomy. Results: The 5-10 year cumulative survival rate was 100% for patients with pT1a tumors, 37.5% for patients with pT1b tumors who underwent simple cholecystectomy, and 100% for patients with pT1b tumors who underwent extended cholecystectomy. Conclusions: Simple cholecystectomy is the appropriate treatment for patients with pT1a tumors, whereas patients with pT1b tumors require an extended cholecystectomy.