Cáncer de la vesícula biliar en Chile / Gallbladder cancer in Chile

RESUMO

This issue of the Revista brings two articles related to gallbladder cancer (GC), a highly prevalent cancer among Chileans. The first paper relates to therapy for Stage II N0 GC. Authors from Universidad de la Frontera corroborate the bad results usually obtained with adjunct chemiotherapy and radiotherapy, associated to a second operation. The second paper discusses the negative influences that the new Xth Edition of the International Classification of Diseases might have on GC control. This cancer appears now with a dramatic 100 percent decrease in mortality rate in the last 3 years, associated to a simultaneous increase of the digit related to biliary tract cancer of undefined origin, which in the great majority of cases truly corresponds to GC throughout the world. This involuntary bias could have a strong negative effect on health policy makers, because health resources will not be derived to perform more cholecystectomies needed to significantly decrease the number of gallbladders at risk. This is a major issue for the Chilean health system, since GC represents the first cause of deaths due to cancer among Chilean women