Exceptional long-term survivor (12 years) with metastatic gallbladder cancer

Abstract

We present a rare case of exceptional long-term survival (12 years) in a 78-year-old female patient presenting with stage IVb Gallbladder Carcinoma (GBC) with an unusual site of metastasis (left supraclavicular lymph node). After chemotherapy, a metabolic response of the metastatic regional and left supraclavicular lymph nodes was documented during the follow-up for 10 years. Because of biliary colic onset due to the presence of stones in the gallbladder, surgical resection was planned. In order to perform a curative resection, the patient underwent bi-segmentectomy 4b-5 en-bloc with the gallbladder + regional lymphadenectomy, 12 years after GBC diagnosis. At pathology, a G2 pT2 adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder was confirmed with pathologic response in all the 5 retrieved regional lymph nodes. Franco Sacchetti1, Francesco Ardito1*, Fabio M Vecchio2 and Felice Giuliante1 1Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Italy 2Department of Pathology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Italy