OBJECTIVETo explore the impact of different treatment procedure on the prognosis of T1 and T2 stage gallbladder cancer with the invasion within the gallbladder wall.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was conducted on 45 patients with pathologic stage T1 and T2 gallbladder cancer who had undergone surgical resection from 1990 and 2005.

RESULTSDepth of invasion (T), radical cholecystectomy and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors on Cox multivariate analysis. The 5-year survival rates of patients with T1a, T1b and T2 stage gallbladder cancer who underwent simple cholecystectomy without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were 100%, 67% and 0, respectively. The survival rate in T2 was significantly lower than those in T1a and T1b. Without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rates of patients with T2 stage gallbladder cancer who underwent simple cholecystectomy and radical cholecystectomy were 0 and 63%, respectively. There was significant difference between the survival time of T2 patients who had undergone simple cholecystectomy with and without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONSThe prognosis of patients with T1 stage gallbladder cancer is much better than that of T2 stage. The 5-year survival rates of patients with T1a and T1b stage gallbladder cancer who received simple cholecystectomy are relatively good. Radical cholecystectomy and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can improve the prognosis of patients with T2 gallbladder cancer.