CLINICOPATHOLOGIC PROFILE OF GALLBLADDER CANCER MANAGED IN COTABATO REGIONAL AND MEDICAL CENTER, A TERTIARY PROVINCIAL CENTER IN THE PHILIPPINES: A 5-YEAR STUDY najibcruzmacarimbang@gmail.com

PE028

CLINICOPATHOLOGIC PROFILE OF GALLBLADDER CANCER MANAGED IN COTABATO REGIONAL AND MEDICAL CENTER, A TERTIARY PROVINCIAL CENTER IN THE PHILIPPINES: A 5-YEAR STUDY

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Philippines

Poster Exhibition only

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to its vague and non-specific early symptoms. In the Philippines, it remains underreported, with limited region-specific data available to guide early detection and treatment strategies. This study aims to describe the demographic and clinicopathologic profile of patients diagnosed with GBC at Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, a tertiary referral hospital in the Bangsamoro region, over a five-year period from 2019 to 2023.

The study used a retrospective case series design analyzing existing medical records to examine the clinicopathologic features of patients diagnosed with gallbladder cancer at Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.

The demographic profile of the participants revealed that the majority were females (61.5%) and belonged to the 51–60 age group (46.2%). Most participants had no family history of gallbladder cancer (92.3%), none smoker, and only one reported alcohol intake. Clinically, all participants were symptomatic at the time of diagnosis and the most prevalent histopathologic type was adenocarcinoma (92.3%). According to TNM classification, most cases were diagnosed at advanced stages, with Stage IVB and IIIA each accounting for 30.8% of the sample. Only a minority (23.1%) were identified at Stage I.

This five-year study at Cotabato Regional and Medical Center found gallbladder cancer mostly affects overweight, middle-aged women, often diagnosed late with advanced tumors. Adenocarcinoma was common, imaging was key, and palliative care frequent. Findings stress early detection, better diagnostics, and public health efforts targeting obesity and limited screening access.