Background: The role of aggressive surgery for end-stage gallbladder carcinoma is controversial. This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the outcome of surgical treatment for Nevin stage IV and V gallbladder carcinoma at a single institution.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was made on 70 patients with Nevin stage IV and V gallbladder carcinoma undergoing surgical treatment from January 1993 to June 2004.
Results: There were 22 cases of stage IV and 48 of stage V. Cholecystectomy was performed in 37 cases with a resection rate of 53%, 9 cases received radical resection, 13 extended radical resection, and 15 palliative resection. The curative resection rate was 31% and the morbidity rate was 36%. Postoperative 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates of curative and palliative resection were 69%, 33%, 8% and 27%, 13%, 0, respectively (P<0.01). The 1- and 3-year survival rates of patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy only were 3% and 0, respectively.
Conclusions: Nevin stage IV and V gallbladder carcinoma should be treated by aggressive surgery. Curative resection is promising in the improvement of long-term survival rate.