CLINICAL PROFILE AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CARCINOMA GALL BLADDER

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is an aggressive malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis. It is the most common cancer of the biliary tree. The early symptoms of gallbladder carcinoma are generally nonspecific and often mimic those of more common calculous biliary diseases. As a result, most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, leading to a dismal prognosis, with a five-year survival rate of less than 5%.Materials & MethodsThis prospective observational study focuses on the epidemiology and clinical profile of patients diagnosed with gallbladder carcinoma who presented to the Department of Surgery at BPKIHS, Dharan, over a one-year period from September 2017 to September 2018. A total of 30 patients with either diagnosed or incidental gallbladder carcinoma were included in the study.ResultsMost patients (n=26, 86.6%) presented within six months of symptom onset. The median duration of illness was 2±5.89 months, ranging from 0.5 to 24 months. Transabdominal ultrasonography detected the disease in 26 (86.6%) of the 30 cases, with the most commonly affected sites being the fundus and body (76.9%).Among 14 cases deemed resectable based on CT imaging, intraoperative findings revealed that seven (50%) were unresectable—three due to metastasis and four due to locally advanced disease with hilar infiltration. Ultimately, seven patients underwent radical resection with curative intent.ConclusionThis study highlights that gallbladder carcinoma predominantly affects middle-aged individuals, with a higher prevalence among females. The majority of cases are diagnosed at an advanced, often unresectable stage, underscoring the poor prognosis associated with the disease.