Gallbladder cancer pathophysiology

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Vamsikrishna Gunnam M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Gallbladder cancer usually develops in the setting of chronic inflammation of the gallbladder.The most common source of chronic inflammation is cholesterol gallstones. The gallbladder cancer risk increases to 4-5% in the presence gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the result of 2 or more different biological pathways based on morphological, genetic, and molecular evidence. Metaplasia is believed to be one of the pathological reason behind the development of gallbladder carcinoma. Although the definite relationship between metaplasia and dysplasia, is not clearly established yet. On gross pathology, fibrosis and thickening of the gallbladder are characteristic findings of the gallbladder cancer. On microscopic histopathological analysis, outer portion is often better differentiated than deeper portion are characteristic findings of gallbladder cancer.

Pathophysiology

Pathogenesis

Theory 1:
Theory 2
  • There are also histologic and molecular differences in GBCs related to anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction and in the ones related to gallstones, providing further proof that two different pathogenetic pathways are involved.[4]
  • GBC arising in Japan within the setting of an anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction is characterized by means of KRAS mutations and relatively late onset of p53 mutations.[5]
  • By means of comparison, as a minimum in Chilean patients with cholelithiasis and chronic cholecystitis, KRAS mutations are uncommon, while p53 mutations rise up early at some stage in multistage pathogenesis.[6][7]
Theory 3
  • Less than 3% of early gallbladder carcinomas have adenomatous remnants, indicating this mechanism has less importance within the carcinogenic pathway.[8]
  • It's hard to predict which of those will go through malignant transformation.
  • In contrast to properly-established carcinogenic pathways in colorectal most cancers, it remains debated within the literature whether or not or not adenomas are actual precursors of invasive gallbladder carcinomas.
  • Only 1% of cholecystectomy specimens have adenomatous polyps as preneoplastic lesions.

Genetics

Genes involved in the pathogenesis of gallbladder carcinoma include:

Gross Pathology

  • Most of the times associated with gallstones > 3 cm in diameter.
  • Liver spread is usually evident at time of diagnosis.

Microscopic Pathology

Adeno carcinoma of gallbladder
By:CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=507411


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Roa I, de Aretxabala X, Araya JC, Roa J (2006). "Preneoplastic lesions in gallbladder cancer". J Surg Oncol. 93 (8): 615–23. doi:10.1002/jso.20527. PMID 16724345.
  2. Wistuba II, Sugio K, Hung J, Kishimoto Y, Virmani AK, Roa I, Albores-Saavedra J, Gazdar AF (1995). "Allele-specific mutations involved in the pathogenesis of endemic gallbladder carcinoma in Chile". Cancer Res. 55 (12): 2511–5. PMID 7780959.
  3. Hughes NR, Bhathal PS (2013). "Adenocarcinoma of gallbladder: an immunohistochemical profile and comparison with cholangiocarcinoma". J. Clin. Pathol. 66 (3): 212–7. doi:10.1136/jclinpath-2012-201146. PMID 23268317.
  4. Solaini L, Sharma A, Watt J, Iosifidou S, Chin Aleong JA, Kocher HM (2014). "Predictive factors for incidental gallbladder dysplasia and carcinoma". J. Surg. Res. 189 (1): 17–21. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2014.01.064. PMID 24589178.
  5. Mano H, Roa I, Araya JC, Ohta T, Yoshida K, Araki K, Kinebuchi H, Ishizu T, Nakadaira H, Endoh K, Yamamoto M, Watanabe H (1996). "Comparison of mutagenic activity of bile between Chilean and Japanese female patients having cholelithiasis". Mutat. Res. 371 (1–2): 73–7. PMID 8950352.
  6. Hanada K, Tsuchida A, Iwao T, Eguchi N, Sasaki T, Morinaka K, Matsubara K, Kawasaki Y, Yamamoto S, Kajiyama G (1999). "Gene mutations of K-ras in gallbladder mucosae and gallbladder carcinoma with an anomalous junction of the pancreaticobiliary duct". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 94 (6): 1638–42. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.1999.01155.x. PMID 10364037.
  7. Hidaka E, Yanagisawa A, Seki M, Takano K, Setoguchi T, Kato Y (2000). "High frequency of K-ras mutations in biliary duct carcinomas of cases with a long common channel in the papilla of Vater". Cancer Res. 60 (3): 522–4. PMID 10676628.
  8. Kanthan R, Senger JL, Ahmed S, Kanthan SC (2015). "Gallbladder Cancer in the 21st Century". J Oncol. 2015: 967472. doi:10.1155/2015/967472. PMC 4569807. PMID 26421012.