Advances in comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of gallbladder cancer

Abstract

Gallbladder cancer is a highly malignant tumor of the digestive system, and its incidence in China has been increasing year by year. Due to the lack of specific symptoms in the early stage, early diagnosis is difficult for gallbladder cancer and it is often at advanced stage once discovered. Surgery is still the only method to cure gallbladder cancer. Therefore, early diagnosis is particularly important for radical resection and improving overall prognosis of gallbladder cancer patients. However, there is still no specific molecular diagnostic target for gallbladder cancer. The continuous improvement of research and surgical skills have made the operational procedure of gallbladder cancer more standardized. With the increasing understanding on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of gallbladder cancer and the improvement of imaging, radiotherapy and chemotherapy technology, the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of gallbladder cancer has also developed rapidly in recent years. However, high-quality clinical research is still needed. Comprehensive treatment model including radical surgery, adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy will be the trend of gallbladder cancer treatment in the future. This article summarizes the advances in comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of gallbladder cancer by reviewing literatures. Key words: Gallbladder neoplasms; Early diagnosis; Neoadjuvant therapy; Comprehensive diagnosis and treatment