Background/purpose: The role of aggressive surgery for stage IV gallbladder carcinoma remains controversial. Survival and prognostic factors were analyzed in patients with stage IV disease, based on the Japanese Society of Biliary Surgery (JSBS) classification, to identify the group of patients who could benefit from radical surgery.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was done of 79 patients with JSBS stage IV gallbladder carcinoma who had undergone surgical resection with curative intent at our institution. The standard procedures were anatomical S4a + S5 subsegmentectomy (n = 29) with extrahepatic bile duct resection and extended lymphadectomy, but when right Glisson's sheath and/or the hepatic hilum were involved, right extended hepatectomy (n = 34) or right trisegmentectomy (n = 3) was selected. To achieve a tumor-free margin combined pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 12 patients, and major vascular resection in 17 patients.
Results: In the patients with stage IV gallbladder carcinoma, the curative resection rate was 65.8% and the hospital mortality rate was 11.4%. The postoperative 5-year survival rate following curative resection was 13.7%. Univariate analysis indicated that curability, hepatoduodenal ligament invasion, nodal involvement, and vascular resection were significant prognostic factors. Neither hepatic invasion nor liver metastasis was a significant factor.
Conclusions: Aggressive surgical resection should be considered even in stage IV patients when hepatoduodenal ligament invasion and nodal involvement are absent or limited. Acceptable survival may be expected among such patients only when curative resection is achieved.