Adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of gall bladder carcinoma: What is the current evidence

Abstract

Gall bladder carcinoma (GBC) is considered the fifth most common one of the most aggressive gastro intestinal tract malignancies. Owing to their large incidence randomised controlled trials have hardly been conducted to look into their optimum treatment. Over the years surgical resection has been considered the only curative treatment of these tumors. However, the outcome still remains guarded. The predominant pattern of failure is loco-regional followed by systemic. Hence, local adjuvant radiation has been used by different institutes with concurrent and adjuvant chemotherapy. The large retrospective series with their limitations showed improved survival in patients with regional spread or tumors infiltrating the liver when treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. In the present era with modern radiation techniques and target delineation radiation may further improve upon the impact without adding to the toxicity profile. Hence, radiation in gall bladder cancer needs a relook to optimize treatment outcome of such aggressive disease.

Keywords: Adjuvant; Chemo-radiotherapy; Gall bladder carcinoma; Radiotherapy.