Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) was once considered a contraindication for laparoscopic surgery, but it is becoming more common to use laparoscopic surgery for GBC treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the long- and short-term outcomes of patients with more advanced T-staged GBC treated with curative intent as defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) after laparoscopic resection (LR) versus open resection (OR). METHODS: A multicenter database was used to select consecutive GBC patients treated with curative-intent resection as defined by the NCCN between 2016 and 2020. The patients were divided into the LR group and the OR group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to eliminate selection bias. The endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and short-term outcomes. Risk factors that were independently associated with OS and PFS were identified. RESULTS: Of 626 GBC patients treated with curative-intent resection, after PSM, 51 patients were in the LR group and 153 patients were in the OR group. The LR group had more patients who were suitable to receive adjuvant chemotherapy (AC), a longer operation time, more harvested lymph nodes, and a lower overall morbidity rate. The rates of OS and PFS were not significantly different between the two groups. AC was independently associated with better OS and PFS. CONCLUSIONS: The overall morbidity of GBC patients after LR was lower, but the long-term outcomes between LR and OR were not significantly different. The GBC patients treated with LR were more likely to receive AC, and the use of AC after curative-intent resection of GBC helped achieve better long-term survival outcomes.