A Clinicopathologic Study on Gallbladder Cancer Invaded to Subserosal Layer

Tsukasa Azuma

Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical College (Professor and Chairman: Fujio Hanyu)

This study was aimed to clarify prognosis-regulating factors in gallbladder cancer invading the subserosal layer (ss cancer). Thirty-three patients with ss cancer confirmed microscopically were studied. The relationship between the mode of tumor spread in the subserosal layer, pathologic factors, and postoperative survival rates was examined. In the mode of tumor spread, the degree of depth of cancer infiltration in the ss (degree of ss inf), the ratio of the cancer-infiltrating area in the ss to the whole mucosal area (ss%), and the growth pattern (INF) in the ss were examined. The degree of ss inf showed significant correlations with lymphatic or venous invasion, regional nodal metastasis, and hepatic infiltration (p<0.01). The ss% also showed significant correlations with regional nodal metastasis and hepatic metastasis (p<0.01). No significant correlation was found between INF and pathologic factors. In the postoperative survival rates, significant differences were found in the degree of ss inf (p<0.01) and ss% (p<0.05) respectively, whereas no difference was seen in INF. Therefore, it was concluded that the degree of ss inf and ss% are important prognosis-regulating factors in ss cancer.

Key words
gallbladder cancer invaded to subserosal layer, mode of spread of gallbladder cancer, prognosis regulating factor

Reprint requests
Tsukasa Azuma Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical College
8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162 JAPAN

Accepted
May 13, 1992

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