Brief Articles
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 21, 2009; 15(15): 1876-1879
Published online Apr 21, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.1876
Surgical management of gallbladder sarcomatoid carcinoma
Keng-Hao Liu, Ta-Sen Yeh, Tsann-Long Hwang, Yi-Yin Jan, Miin-Fu Chen
Keng-Hao Liu, Ta-Sen Yeh, Tsann-Long Hwang, Yi-Yin Jan, Miin-Fu Chen, Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, China
Author contributions: Liu KH collected patient data; Yeh TS, Hwang TL, Jan YY and Chen MF designed the research; Liu KH wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Dr. Keng-Hao Liu, Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, #5, Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, China. tcfs63lc@yahoo.com.tw
Telephone: +886-3-3281200
Fax: +886-3-3285818
Received: January 19, 2009
Revised: March 16, 2009
Accepted: March 23, 2009
Published online: April 21, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To study the behavior as well as optimal treatment of gallbladder sarcomatoid carcinoma, we reviewed the results of treatment of gallbladder sarcomatoid carcinoma from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

METHODS: From 1987 to 2005, six patients were diagnosed with gallbladder sarcomatoid carcinoma and treated at our institution. Tumor staging was based on 2002 revised tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging for gall bladder cancer from the American Joint Committee on Cancer. The clinical presentation, laboratory data and preoperative workup were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS: Five patients were female and one was male. The age ranged from 51 to 66 years (median, 58 years). Surgical procedures included three curative resections, two palliative resections and one biopsy. There were two surgical complications (33.3%) and one case of surgical mortality (16.7%). The follow-up time ranged from 30 d to 5 mo. The median survival was 2.5 mo. The prognosis was extremely poor, even after curative resection and postoperative chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION: The prognosis of gallbladder sarcomatoid carcinoma was not dependent on TNM stage and was always dismal. The clinicopathological features were different from those of gall bladder cancer.

Keywords: Gallbladder; Carcinoama; Sarcomatoid carcinoma; Surgery; Therapy