Surgical strategy for T2 and T3 gallbladder cancer: is extrahepatic bile duct resection always necessary?

PURPOSE: Resection of the extrahepatic bile duct is not performed uniformly in gallbladder cancer. The study investigated the clinical significance of resection of extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) in T2 and T3 gallbladder cancer.
METHODS: Between 2000 and 2010, 71 T2 or T3 gallbladder cancer patients who underwent R0 resection at Korea University Medical Center were included. Clinicopathological data were reviewed retrospectively. Survival analysis and comparison between EHBD resection and non-resection groups were performed.
RESULTS: The 32 men and 39 women had 49 T2 tumors and 22 T3 tumors. The overall survival rate was 67.8 % at 3 years and 47.2 % at 5 years. In multivariate analysis for overall survival, lymphovascular invasion and lymph node metastasis were significant independent predictors. Comparing the patients according to EHBD resection, the EHBD resection group demonstrated significantly longer hospital stay, longer operative time, more transfusion requirement, more extensive liver resection, and less treatment of neoadjuvant therapy. Significantly higher proportions of perineural invasion and lymph node metastasis were noted in the EHBD resection group. There were no statistically significant differences in survival between the EHBD resection and non-resection groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Resection of extrahepatic bile duct was not always necessary in T2 and T3 cancers. However, the patients who undergo resection of extrahepatic bile duct tended to have more aggressive tumor characteristics and undergo more aggressive surgical approach. To enhance overall survival for the patients with T2 and T3 gallbladder cancers, surgeons should try to perform R0 resection including EHBD resection.