The history, current status and prospect in the diagnosis and treatment of primary carcinoma of the gallbladder

Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder (PCG) is the most common malignant tumor in biliary system and its morbility has been rising year by year in our country. Because there is no specific clinical manifestation, patients diagnosed finally as PCG have mostly been in intermediate or advanced stage, thus losing the chance of radical resection of gallbladder carcinoma and having a poor prognosis. In this article we analyze the high risk factors, diagnosis of imageology, study of molecular biology, therapeutic progression and existent problems about PCG, by reviewing the related literature about diagnosis and treatment of PCG and the clinical data of 945 patients with PCG who were treated in our hospital in recent fifty years. We realize that early diagnosis of PCG is still difficult nowadays, it is very significant for secondary prevention of PCG to continue to carry out the foundamental and clinical study of PCG. Combined therapy that mainly includes surgical operation remains cardinal therapeutic management, and gene therapy has gradually developed to become a new therapy and displays favourable prospect of application.