Gallbladder cancer epidemiology, treatment and survival in Southern Finland – a population-based study

Hanna Koppatz,Sini Takala,Katriina Peltola,Anna But,Heikki Mäkisalo,Arno Nordin,Ville Sallinen

doi:10.1080/00365521.2021.1915373

Hanna Koppatz, Sini Takala + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/00365521.2021.1915373

Copy DOI

Abstract

Introduction Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare malignancy in Western population with poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the trends in GBC incidence, treatment pattern, and survival in Finland. Methods Patients diagnosed with primary GBC in a geographically defined area (Southern Finland Regional Cancer Center) during 2006–2017 were identified. Results Final cohort included 270 patients with GBC. The incidence was 1.32/100,000 persons, and it decreased 6.8 cases per million personyears during the study period. One hundred fifty-one (56%) patients were diagnosed at Stage IV. Fifty-one patients (19%) underwent curative-intent resection with 96% R0-resection rate. The median overall survival was 7.1 months and 5-year overall survival 11.6% for all patients, and 67.7 months and 56.8% after curative-intent resection, respectively. No improvement was noted over time in overall survival in patients with GBC, or in subgroups of different stages of GBC. Conclusions The incidence of GBC is slightly decreasing in Southern Finland, but survival has not improved over time.

Highlights

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare malignancy in Western population with poor prognosis
The incidence of GBC varies between sexes and ethnicities being high on women compared to men and, for instance, higher among American Indians compared to non-Hispanic white persons [2,3,4]
This study aims to explore incidence of GBC as well as diagnostics, treatment patterns, and the survival of patients with GBC during the last decade using a population-based approach in a geographically defined area in Finland

Summary

Introduction

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare malignancy in Western population with poor prognosis. Methods: Patients diagnosed with primary GBC in a geographically defined area (Southern Finland Regional Cancer Center) during 2006–2017 were identified. Fifty-one patients (19%) underwent curative-intent resection with 96% R0-resection rate. Conclusions: The incidence of GBC is slightly decreasing in Southern Finland, but survival has not improved over time. The incidence appears to decrease in some European countries such as in Sweden and Norway, and in the United States, but increases in Asia, especially in India [3,5,6,7,8]. The reason for decreasing incidence in these countries is mostly unknown, but increasing rates of cholecystectomies, lifestyle changes, and obesity-reducing factors have been proposed as potential contributors [4,6,9]. In many European countries the incidence has remained stable, for instance in the United Kingdom and Netherlands [9]

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion