Pathology of gallbladder carcinoma: current understanding and new perspectives.

Gallbladder carcinoma is a rare and highly lethal malignancy. It stands out from amongst the other GI tract malignancies for its unique epidemiological profile, proclivity for female gender, definitional ambiguities, ability to escape early diagnosis, and absence of effective treatment. Pathobiology of gallbladder carcinoma continues to remain poorly understood. Recently, better characterization of the precursor lesions and elucidation of underlying molecular pathways has enhanced our understanding of gallbladder tumorigenesis. Proposal of a unified terminology and evolving consensus in classifying gallbladder pre-invasive neoplasia offers hope of better assimilation of rare data from diverse parts of the world. Identifying biomarkers and cancer specific cellular targets that will pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches for gallbladder carcinoma is urgently needed. In this review we delve into the epidemiologic, genetic and pathologic characteristics of this enigmatic disease with a special focus on the recent advancements in the field of gallbladder pathology.