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

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.