UICC and Japanese Stage Classifications for Carcinoma of the Gallbladder

UICC stage classification (UICC-SC) for carcinoma of the gallbladder was compared with its Japanese stage classification (JPN-SC), using 75 patients undergoing resectional surgery. The 5-year survival rates according to the clinicalstages I, II, III and IV were 68, 73, 17, and 6% by the UICC-SC, and 80, 15, 23, and 9% by the JPN-SC, respectively. Inthe postoperative cumulative survival rates, the UICC-SC showed a significant difference among the corresponding stagesexcept between stage I and II, and III and IV, respectively. It is concluded that the UICC-SC more accurately reflectedthe prognosis of the patients with gallbladder carcinoma than that of JPN-SC, because grading of the T factor was well correlated with the extent of histopathological progression of the tumor.