Mucinous carcinoma of the gallbladder
Mucinous carcinoma is a rare gallbladder cancer in which the cancer cells sit in pools of mucus that make up more than half the tumour. It affects men almost as often as women, is larger than usual at diagnosis, and often presents like an acute gallbladder attack. It is staged and treated like other gallbladder adenocarcinomas.
Overview
The WHO defines mucinous carcinoma by extracellular (stromal) mucin forming more than 50 percent of the tumour. In the only sizeable series, 606 invasive gallbladder carcinomas were reviewed: 40 (6.6 percent) showed some mucinous differentiation and 15 (2.5 percent) met the definition. Mean age was 65; the female to male ratio was 1.1, against 3.9 for conventional pancreatobiliary-type adenocarcinoma; two thirds (8 of 12 with records) presented with a clinical picture and operative findings read as acute cholecystitis; and the tumours were larger (mean 4.8 cm and median 3.4 cm, against 2.9 and 2.5 cm) (Dursun 2012). Cancer Research UK describes the type simply as cancer cells often lying in pools of mucus. Mucin in Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses can mimic mucinous carcinoma and is a recognised pathology pitfall (Albores-Saavedra 2009).
What differs in treatment: nothing formally. There is no type-specific trial evidence, so mucinous carcinoma is staged by TNM 8th edition and treated as gallbladder adenocarcinoma: radical cholecystectomy where resectable, adjuvant capecitabine, and gemcitabine and cisplatin with immunotherapy for advanced disease. The practical differences are the larger size and inflammatory presentation, which raise the chance that the cancer is unsuspected at the first operation, and the pathology pitfall above.
State of the art
Red cards
From the labels and guidelines behind the standard of care. Your team's thresholds win.- Emergency services nowBleeding or bruising
Bleeding that will not stop, black or bloody stools, or unexplained bruising when platelets are expected to be low.
- Emergency services nowBlood clot (lenalidomide, pomalidomide, thalidomide)
A swollen painful calf, or sudden breathlessness with chest pain; venous and arterial thromboembolism is a boxed warning and blood-thinning prophylaxis is recommended.
See all on the product pages:CapecitabineGemcitabine + cisplatin·Printable cards in the navigator
Anatomy and lymph node drainage
- Pancreatic head (most PDAC)
- Body and tail
- Ampulla
- Islets (pancreatic NET)
- Intrahepatic ducts
- Perihilar (Klatskin)
- Distal bile duct
- Gallbladder
- Nodes: peripancreatic
- Nodes: hepatic hilar
- Nodes: coeliac and superior mesenteric
Most pancreatic cancers arise in the head next to the bile duct, which is why jaundice is the presenting sign; bile duct cancers are named by where along the tree they sit.
- Pancreatic head (most PDAC)
- Body and tail
- Ampulla
- Islets (pancreatic NET)
- Intrahepatic ducts
- Perihilar (Klatskin)
- Distal bile duct
- GallbladderMucinous (colloid) carcinoma of the gallbladder, more than 50 percent stromal mucin · Gallbladder adenocarcinoma with a minor mucinous component (not classified as mucinous carcinoma)
- peripancreatic
- hepatic hilar
- coeliac and superior mesenteric
Same organ: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Biliary tract cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (perihilar and distal), Biliary tract cancer (all types), Neuroendocrine tumours, Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, Grade 3 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumour, Extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma, Gallbladder cancer, Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Papillary carcinoma of the gallbladder, Adenosquamous and squamous carcinoma of the gallbladder, Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder, Incidental gallbladder cancer (found after cholecystectomy), Carcinoma in situ and dysplasia of the gallbladder, Cystic duct carcinoma, Ampullary cancer (ampulla of Vater), Resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Borderline resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Locally advanced unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, KRAS G12C-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, KRAS wild-type pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, BRCA or PALB2-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Mismatch repair deficient (MSI-high) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma, Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and other pancreatic cystic precursors, Pancreatoblastoma
About 2.5 percent of gallbladder carcinomas by the WHO definition: 15 of 606 in the defining series, with some mucin production in 6.6 percent (Dursun 2012).
Cases by country
No country-level case numbers. This cancer is not mapped to a GLOBOCAN site.
One section per setting: the options named, what each is for, the trials behind them, the recorded trade-offs and the questions to ask.
As for gallbladder adenocarcinoma: radical cholecystectomy where resectable, capecitabine after resection, gemcitabine and cisplatin with immunotherapy when advanced.
Subtypes & biomarkers
top- Mucinous (colloid) carcinoma of the gallbladder, more than 50 percent stromal mucin
- Gallbladder adenocarcinoma with a minor mucinous component (not classified as mucinous carcinoma)
- Share of the tumour made up of extracellular mucin (over 50 percent defines the type)
- T category and nodal status as for adenocarcinoma
How often this target appears
Dated changes read from the records linked to this cancer: approvals, regulatory steps, reported trials, guideline versions and milestones. Newest first; no date is inferred.
On EdgeAll 1 changes by month →What is in development for Mucinous carcinoma of the gallbladder, drawn from the whole corpus: 0 items. Drugs are grouped by the most advanced trial phase they have reached anywhere; approved treatments sit under standard of care. Technologies are the methods being tested for this cancer, trials are the studies recorded here, and ideas are proposals not yet in a trial.
Nothing recorded in development for this cancer yet.
Open problems and what is being done
Trials
topTrials recruiting now
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Expert centres
topExpert centres
No institutions are linked to this cancer yet. The general institution ranking is the place to start.
Questions to ask
topQuestions to ask your oncologist about Mucinous carcinoma of the gallbladder
Newly diagnosed
- What is my exact diagnosis, stage, and grade, and which tests established them?Why: Everything else follows from an accurate stage and subtype.
- Which biomarkers have been tested on my tumour (for example Share of the tumour made up of extracellular mucin, T category and nodal status as for adenocarcinoma), and what were the results?Why: These results decide eligibility for targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and trials.
- Which subtype is my cancer, and does that change the recommended treatment?Why: Recognised subtypes for this cancer include Mucinouscarcinoma of the gallbladder, more than 50 percent stromal mucin, Gallbladder adenocarcinoma with a minor mucinous component.
- Is germline (inherited) genetic testing recommended for me or my family?Why: Inherited variants can change treatment and matter for relatives.
All stages
- For my situation (all stages), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?Why: Guideline options include: As for gallbladder adenocarcinoma: radical cholecystectomy where resectable, capecitabine after resection, gemcitabine and cisplatin with immunotherapy when advanced.
- Am I a candidate for Capecitabine, Gemcitabine + cisplatin, and what side effects should I expect?Why: Knowing the expected toxicities helps you plan work, family, and supportive care.
Any stage
- Would a second opinion at a high-volume centre change anything, and can you help arrange it?Why: Rare or high-stakes decisions benefit from a centre that treats many similar patients.
- What supportive care (symptom control, nutrition, exercise, mental health, financial help) is available from the start?Why: Supportive care improves quality of life and helps patients complete treatment.
Newly diagnosed? Read the first 60 days with Mucinous carcinoma of the gallbladder, then print the one-page appointment sheet with room for the answers.
Print this page for your appointment (your browser's print command). These prompts are for discussion; your clinical team knows your case.
Direct links plus the targets, companies, and technologies of this cancer's products.
technologies
2drugs
2companies
1terms
2Latest papers
topQuery for this cancer: (TITLE:"Mucinous carcinoma of the gallbladder" OR ABSTRACT:"Mucinous carcinoma of the gallbladder" OR TITLE:"Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder" OR ABSTRACT:"Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder" OR TITLE:"Colloid carcinoma of the gallbladder" OR ABSTRACT:"Colloid carcinoma of the gallbladder") AND (treatment OR therapy OR trial OR survival OR diagnosis). Results are unfiltered search hits about Mucinous carcinoma of the gallbladder, not a curated reading list.
Similar pages
not linked directly; found by shared links- CancerCarcinoma in situ and dysplasia of the gallbladder
Shares Rokitansky-Aschoff sinus, Papillary carcinoma of the gallbladder, Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Radical (extended) cholecystectomy and the tags gallbladder, biliary, subtype-page.
- CancerAdenosquamous and squamous carcinoma of the gallbladder
Shares Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Radical (extended) cholecystectomy, Gemcitabine + cisplatin, Gallbladder cancer and the tags gallbladder, biliary, subtype-page.
- TermSimple cholecystectomy
Shares Papillary carcinoma of the gallbladder, Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Radical (extended) cholecystectomy, Gallbladder cancer and the tags gallbladder, biliary.
- CancerNeuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder
Shares Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Radical (extended) cholecystectomy, Gallbladder cancer and the tags gallbladder, biliary, subtype-page.
- CancerCystic duct carcinoma
Shares Radical (extended) cholecystectomy, Gemcitabine + cisplatin, Gallbladder cancer and the tags gallbladder, biliary, subtype-page.
- CancerIncidental gallbladder cancer (found after cholecystectomy)
Shares Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Radical (extended) cholecystectomy, Gemcitabine + cisplatin, Capecitabine and the tags gallbladder, biliary, subtype-page.
- TermT2a versus T2b gallbladder cancer (peritoneal side versus hepatic side)
Shares Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Radical (extended) cholecystectomy, Gallbladder cancer and the tags gallbladder, biliary.
- TermSegment IVb and V liver resection (versus wedge resection)
Shares Gallbladder adenocarcinoma, Radical (extended) cholecystectomy, Gallbladder cancer and the tags gallbladder, biliary.