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Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes

Cilt: 36 Sayı: 2026 30 Ekim 2026
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Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes

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ABSTRACT Background: Incidental gallbladder carcinoma (IGBC) refers to malignancies detected during histopathological examination following cholecystectomy performed for benign indications. Although IGBC is generally diagnosed earlier, its impact on survival remains unclear. We compared the clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival outcomes of patients with IGBC and non-incidental gallbladder carcinoma (NIGBC) and evaluated independent prognostic factors affecting survival. Materials and Methods: A total of 69 patients histopathologically diagnosed with gallbladder carcinoma between January 2008 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were grouped by mode of diagnosis as IGBC (n=40) or NIGBC (n=29). Clinical, surgical, and histopathological characteristics were compared. Overall survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were evaluated using univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: Among the 12,938 cholecystectomies, IGBC was identified in 40 cases (0.31%). The median tumor size was significantly smaller in the IGBC group than in the NIGBC group (19 mm vs. 35 mm, p<0.001). In addition, early pT stage (pT1–2) and early disease stage (Stage I–II) were significantly more frequent in the IGBC group (p<0.001 for both), as were the presence of gallstones and the rate of laparoscopic surgery (p<0.001 for both). No significant difference in overall survival was observed between the groups (log-rank p=0.589). In the multivariable analysis, age, advanced pT stage, and positive surgical margins were identified as independent factors affecting overall survival. Incidental diagnosis was not an independent prognostic factor. Conclusion: Although patients with IGBC were diagnosed with smaller tumors and at an earlier pathological stage, incidental diagnosis alone was not associated with improved overall survival. In this study, prognosis was primarily associated with tumor stage and the adequacy of surgical resection. Our findings support the importance of routine histopathological examination following cholecystectomy for benign indications to facilitate the early detection of occult gallbladder carcinoma and appropriate treatment planning.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Gallbladder Neoplasms;, Cholecystectomy;, Incidental Findings;, Survival Analysis;, Prognosis;, Neoplasm Staging

Destekleyen Kurum

The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article.

Etik Beyan

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee for Non-Pharmaceutical and Non-Medical Device Research of KTO Karatay University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Türkiye (decision number: 2022/009; meeting date: June 17, 2022).

Teşekkür

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Abdullah Ömer Şeker for his contributions to the biostatistical analyses. We also gratefully acknowledge Elif Denizaslanı (Kristal Akademik Çeviri) for her professional English language editing and manuscript preparation support.

Kaynakça

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Kaynak Göster

APA
Gunler, T., Küçükosmanoğlu, İ., Ünlü, Y., Şimşek, G., & Büyükterzi, M. (2026). Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes. Genel Tıp Dergisi, 36(2026), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.54005/geneltip.2004811
AMA
1.Gunler T, Küçükosmanoğlu İ, Ünlü Y, Şimşek G, Büyükterzi M. Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes. Genel Tıp Derg. 2026;36(2026):1-8. doi:10.54005/geneltip.2004811
Chicago
Gunler, Tugba, İlknur Küçükosmanoğlu, Yaşar Ünlü, Gürcan Şimşek, ve Meral Büyükterzi. 2026. “Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes”. Genel Tıp Dergisi 36 (2026): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.54005/geneltip.2004811.
EndNote
Gunler T, Küçükosmanoğlu İ, Ünlü Y, Şimşek G, Büyükterzi M (01 Ekim 2026) Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes. Genel Tıp Dergisi 36 2026 1–8.
IEEE
[1]T. Gunler, İ. Küçükosmanoğlu, Y. Ünlü, G. Şimşek, ve M. Büyükterzi, “Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes”, Genel Tıp Derg, c. 36, sy 2026, ss. 1–8, Eki. 2026, doi: 10.54005/geneltip.2004811.
ISNAD
Gunler, Tugba - Küçükosmanoğlu, İlknur - Ünlü, Yaşar - Şimşek, Gürcan - Büyükterzi, Meral. “Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes”. Genel Tıp Dergisi 36/2026 (01 Ekim 2026): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.54005/geneltip.2004811.
JAMA
1.Gunler T, Küçükosmanoğlu İ, Ünlü Y, Şimşek G, Büyükterzi M. Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes. Genel Tıp Derg. 2026;36:1–8.
MLA
Gunler, Tugba, vd. “Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes”. Genel Tıp Dergisi, c. 36, sy 2026, Ekim 2026, ss. 1-8, doi:10.54005/geneltip.2004811.
Vancouver
1.Tugba Gunler, İlknur Küçükosmanoğlu, Yaşar Ünlü, Gürcan Şimşek, Meral Büyükterzi. Incidental and Non-Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison of Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes. Genel Tıp Derg. 01 Ekim 2026;36(2026):1-8. doi:10.54005/geneltip.2004811