ASO Author Reflections: Revision Surgery or Timely Chemotherapy for Incidental Gallbladder Cancers: What is Actually Helping?

Revision surgery with or without chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting remains the standard treatment for incidental gallbladder cancers (iGBCs). Over the years, researchers have retrospectively analyzed the surgical audits and tried to establish the perceived benefit and optimal timing for revision surgery. Patkar and colleagues have analyzed the outcomes for 517 patients with iGBC, concluding that there is no optimal timing for performing a revision surgery after initial cholecystectomy. Revision surgery is essentially the most accurate staging procedure and should be offered to patients at any time of presentation if they remain non-metastatic. Timely initiation of chemotherapy is the key to improving the outcomes for patients with this otherwise inherently aggressive disease.