Adjuvant therapy for resected gallbladder cancer

Abstract

Gallbladder cancer, one of the family of biliary tract cancers, has a poor prognosis. Adjuvant therapy comprising radiotherapy, chemotherapy plus radiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy may all play a role in improving survival. Most extant data on adjuvant therapy are retrospective studies or meta-analyses based on these studies. Recently, a phase III study demonstrated that capecitabine is a standard treatment option for biliary tract cancers, including gallbladder cancer. Ongoing studies investigating chemotherapy, novel surgical strategies, immunotherapy, molecular-targeted therapies using molecular profiling have been developed. This review summarises current status and future perspectives of adjuvant therapy for gallbladder cancer.