Comparison of Chemotherapy Before and After Surgery Versus After Surgery Alone for the Treatment of Gallbladder Cancer

This phase II/III trial compares the effect of adding chemotherapy before and after surgery versus after surgery alone (usual treatment) in treating patients with stage II-III gallbladder cancer. Chemotherapy drugs, such as gemcitabine and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving chemotherapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller; therefore, may reduce the extent of surgery. Additionally, it may make it easier for the surgeon to distinguish between normal and cancerous tissue. Giving chemotherapy after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. This study will determine whether giving chemotherapy before surgery increases the length of time before the cancer may return and whether it will increase a patient's life span compared to the usual approach.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To determine the difference in overall survival (OS) for patients given neoadjuvant gemcitabine hydrochloride (gemcitabine) and cisplatin prior to re-resection followed by adjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin compared to patients who receive only adjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin after re-resection for incidental gallbladder cancer (IGBC). SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare the incidence of residual disease at the time of re-resection between patients with IGBC who receive perioperative chemotherapy prior to re-resection and those who receive only adjuvant chemotherapy after re-resection. II. To assess the clinical effect of preoperative chemotherapy compared to upfront re-resection on resectability among 3 cohorts: all enrolled patients, all patients who undergo staging laparoscopy, and all patients who undergo laparotomy. III. To determine the difference in progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with IGBC who receive perioperative chemotherapy prior to and after re-resection compared to patients who receive only adjuvant chemotherapy after re-resection. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Within 4 weeks of randomization, patients undergo surgery to remove part of the liver, the lymph nodes around the liver, and possibly the bile ducts. Patients then receive gemcitabine intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes and cisplatin IV over 30 minutes-24 hours on days 1 and 8. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 8 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM II: Patients receive gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes and cisplatin over 30 minutes-24 hours on days 1 and 8. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 4 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Approximately 4-8 weeks after completion of chemotherapy, patients whose disease has not spread to other places in the body (metastasized) undergo surgery as in Arm I. Patients with successful surgery then resume treatment with gemcitabine IV and cisplatin IV on days 1 and 8. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 4 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 1 year after surgery or until disease recurrence, whichever comes first, for up to 5 years.