GALLBLADDER CANCER

Course overview

GALLBLADDER CANCER (GC) IS A RARE MALIGNANCY BUT REPRESENTS ALMOST 50% OF ALL BILIARY TRACT CANCER. BILIARY CANCERS ARE HIGHLY FATAL MALIGNANCIES WITH A 5-YEAR SURVIVAL RATE OF 17.6% (2007-2013). THE PROGNOSIS OF GALLBLADDER CANCER IS POOR DUE TO THE AGGRESSIVE TUMOR BIOLOGY, LATE PRESENTATION, COMPLICATED ANATOMIC POSITION, AND ADVANCED STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS. LOCALLY ADVANCED AND METASTATIC DISEASE IS TREATED WITH PALLIATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY. CONVERSELY, EARLY STAGE IS POTENTIALLY CURATIVE WITH SURGICAL RESECTION FOLLOWED BY ADJUVANT THERAPY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF GALLBLADDER CANCER AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.