Gallbladder cancer during pregnancy treated with surgery and adjuvant gemcitabine: A case report and review of the literature

A Diciolla; M Gianoni; M Fleury; P Szturz; N Demartines; S Peters; R Duran; D Desseauve; Monnat A Panchaud; F Fasquelle; A Digklia

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.1006387

Gallbladder cancer during pregnancy treated with surgery and adjuvant gemcitabine: A case report and review of the literature

Front Oncol. 2022 Oct 24:12:1006387. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1006387. eCollection 2022.

Authors

A Diciolla^{1

2}, M Gianoni³, M Fleury^{1

2}, P Szturz^{1

2}, N Demartines^{2

4}, S Peters^{1

2}, R Duran^{2

5}, D Desseauve^{2

6}, Monnat A Panchaud⁷, F Fasquelle^{2

8}, A Digklia^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Département d'Oncologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ University of Lausanne (UNIL) et Service de Gynécologie, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Visceral Surgery, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Radiology and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁶ Women-Mother-Child Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁷ Service of Pharmacy Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁸ Institut Universitaire de Pathologie, Pathologie Clinique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.

Abstract

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) represents the most common biliary tract cancer. Prognosis remains poor with 5-year overall survival rates less than 5% in advanced stages. GBCs are diagnosed more frequently in women, supposedly due to endocrine factors.

Case: A 35-year-old woman, diagnosed with a non-metastatic GBC in the 22nd week of gestation, underwent a complete surgical resection 5 weeks later. Adjuvant gemcitabine was administered without complications, temporarily discontinued in the 32nd week to allow childbirth. The patient was disease-free for more than 3 years with ongoing remission at the last visit in July 2022. During the follow-up period, the child had no developmental, cognitive, or other health issues.

Conclusion: Malignant tumors occur in about 0.1% of pregnant women, many are treated with chemotherapy. In oncology, the need to deliver optimal treatment in these patients represents a major concern. Both surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy of locally advanced GBC can be performed safely, with certain considerations, in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Keywords: biliary tract cancer; chemotherapy; gallbladder cancer; gemcitabin; pregnancy.

Publication types

Case Reports