Gallbladder Carcinoma: Clinical profile and its management

Dr. Arpit Bansal; Dr. Ashwani Kumar Bansal; Dr. Vandana Bansal; Dr. Ajay Kumar

Volume : V, Issue : IV, April - 2015

Gallbladder Carcinoma: Clinical profile and its management

Dr. Arpit Bansal, Dr. Ashwani Kumar Bansal, Dr. Vandana Bansal, Dr. Ajay Kumar

Abstract :

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary tract. High incidence is observed in Chile, Japan, and northern India. The etiology of this tumor is complex, but there is a strong association with gallstones. It affects women two to six times more frequently than men. The incidence of GBC increases steadily with increase in age. Carcinoma of gall bladder is the fifth most mortality causing cancer and its cases are alarmingly increasing in south–east Asia. It can arise from either a pathway involving metaplasia or dysplasia or one in which there is a pre–existing adenoma. The former is the more common and, because it is often not associated with a macroscopically recognizable lesion, leads to the recommendation that all gallbladders need to be examined microscopically. Accurate staging of invasive cancers is essential to determine prognosis and treatment, and this requires extensive tumor sampling. In this article we review the epidemiology, pathology, molecular biology, clinical phase of GBC and the management of patients with gallbladder cancer.