Effects of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic perfusion chemotherapy on prognosis of patients with advanced gallbladder cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND Gallbladder cancer (GC) is a common malignant tumor and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. It is typically highly invasive, difficult to detect in the early stages, and has poor treatment outcomes, resulting in high mortality rates. The available treatment options for GC are relatively limited. One emerging treatment modality is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). HIPEC involves delivering heated chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity. It combines the strategies of surgical tumor resection and localized chemotherapy administration under hyperthermic conditions, aiming to enhance the concentration and effectiveness of drugs within the local tumor site while minimizing systemic toxicity. AIM To determine the effects of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with HIPEC on the short-term prognosis of patients with advanced GC. METHODS Data from 80 patients treated at the Punan Branch of Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between January 2018 and January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The control group comprised 44 patients treated with CRS, and the research group comprised 36 patients treated with CRS combined with HIPEC. Then, the survival time and prognostic factors of the two groups were compared, as well as liver and kidney function indices before and six days after surgery. Adverse reactions and complications were recorded in both groups. RESULTS The baseline data of the research and control groups were similar (P > 0.05). Six days after surgery, the alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels significantly decreased compared to the preoperative levels in both groups (P < 0.05). However, the values did not differ between the two groups six days postoperatively (P > 0.05). Similarly, the postoperative creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were significantly lower than the preoperative levels in both groups (P < 0.05), but they did not differ between the groups six days postoperatively (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the research group had fewer postoperative adverse reactions than the control group (P = 0.027). Finally, a multivariate Cox analysis identified the tumor stage, distant metastasis, and the treatment plan as independent factors affecting prognosis (P < 0.05). The three-year survival rate in the study group was higher than that in the control group (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION CRS combined with HIPEC lowers the incidence of adverse reactions and improves survival in patients with advanced GC.