Cancer of the Gallbladder : New Research

Gallbladder cancer is characterised by delayed diagnosis, ineffective treatment and poor prognosis. Surgical resection is considered the treatment of choice for radical therapy (cure), however only a minority have early (stage I) gallbladder cancer, usually found incidentally during cholecystectomy. The role of other adjutant radical or palliative therapies in gallbladder cancer has not been fully clarified in the literature. Chemotherapy is experimental and is not very helpful, while the role of radiotherapy is controversial. It appears that gallbladder carcinomas are not as radio-resistant as was formerly thought. In the majority of cases radiotherapy has a palliative role and occasionally plays an important function in the cure of the disease in combination with complete surgical resection. This book gathers significant new research on the subject of gallbladder cancer.