Background: Advanced carcinoma of the gallbladder typically is unresponsive to chemotherapy, and patients with progressive metastatic disease have a short survival.
Methods: A patient with advanced metastatic carcinoma of the gallbladder causing peritoneal carcinomatosis and hepatic metastases is reported. This patient achieved a dramatic remission with gemcitabine after failing two other chemotherapeutic regimens.
Results: Response included reversal of complete small bowel obstruction with resumption of the ability to eat and the disappearance of liver metastases.
Conclusions: Gemcitabine appears to be worthy of organized clinical trials in patients with this notoriously chemotherapy-resistant malignancy.