Gallbladder cancer recurrence within 1 year can be predicted using blood and CT information before surgery

A model capable of predicting the recurrence of gallbladder cancer within one year after surgery using only preoperative blood and CT information has been developed by Korean medical researchers.

Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital Seoul said Tuesday that the research team led by Professor Yoon So-kyung of the Department of Surgery analyzed preoperative prognostic factors associated with early recurrence of gallbladder cancer in 251 patients who underwent curative resection for gallbladder cancer between 2008 and 2017.

To verify the validity and practical applicability of the developed prediction model, they then conducted a prediction accuracy verification study on 176 patients from Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital Seoul, Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital Bucheon, and Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital. The results demonstrated a strong predictive power of 87.2 percent in internal validation and about 70.3 percent in external validation.

The seven preoperative prognostic factors used in this predictive model were: gender (male); chronic liver disease; preoperative symptoms; elevated CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) levels; sarcopenic obesity; clinical T3 or higher stage; and suspected lymph node metastasis.

Among these indicators, chronic liver disease and elevated CEA levels can be confirmed through blood tests, while sarcopenic obesity, clinical T3 or higher stage, and suspected lymph node metastasis can be confirmed through CT imaging information.

“The newly developed nomogram for predicting early recurrence of gallbladder cancer is significant because it establishes the foundation for patient-tailored treatment by predicting the risk of recurrence in patients before surgery, enabling proactive and enhanced treatment strategies for high-risk patients and reducing the burden of unnecessary invasive treatments for low-risk patients,” Professor Yoon said.