Abstract

This study presents the clinicopathologic findings in 73 cases of cancer of the gallbladder. Particular attention was paid to the presence of gallstones, classification of histologic types, along with their distribution by age and sex, the presenting symptoms and the sites of metastasis. The bulk of the cases occurred in elderly females and the most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma. The incidence of gallbladder cancer in the cholecystectomy population runs about 4.2%; in the cholelithiasis population only 2.1%. Of total 70 cases of gallbladder cancer, 18.6% had gallstones. There does not appear to be a correlation between gallbladder cancer and cholelithiasis when calculated from the gallstone incidence. Cholecytectomy solely hoping to prevent cancer in cholelithiasis patients is not advisable.