[Cancer of the gallbladder].

We present 118 cases of cancer of the gallbladder out of 4,165 operations for gallbladder disease (6.2%) compiled over a period of 18 years at the Hospital Nacional "Valdecilla". Females were predominant, 82.2%, and the mean age was 73.2 years. The most relevant clinical finding was pain in the right upper quadrant in 73.7%, and a mass at this level in 43.2%. The diagnosis was correct in 36 cases (30.5%). All patients were treated surgically; the resectability rate was 58.5% and potentially curative cholecystectomy was performed in 15.2%. The tumor was adenocarcinoma in 91.5%, one stage I of Nein, 5 stage II, 12 stage III, 33 stage IV and 67 stage V. The 5-year survival was 100% for stage I-II and 41.6% for III; stages IV-V did not survive more than a year.