Gallbladder Cancer Stage II (T3 or N1, M0)

What Stage II (T3 or N1, M0) Means

T3 = pericholic tissue invasion; N1 = 1–3 cystic artery, pericholedochal, or hilar lymph nodes. Locally advanced but no distant spread.

Treatment Approach for Stage II (T3 or N1, M0)

Extended cholecystectomy ± hepatic resection (if T3 with liver bed invasion) followed by adjuvant gemcitabine/cisplatin or capecitabine/5-FU x 6 months. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy being explored in prospective trials.

Survival Rates and Prognosis

The 5-year survival rate for gallbladder cancer at Stage II (T3 or N1, M0) is approximately 5-year OS: 25–35% with resection + adjuvant chemotherapy; <10% with resection alone.. Survival rates are statistical averages drawn from large patient populations and may not reflect your individual outcome. Factors that influence your specific prognosis include your age, overall health, tumour biology, and how well the cancer responds to treatment.

Important: These numbers are drawn from historical data. Newer treatments available today may improve outcomes beyond what published statistics show. Discuss your individual prognosis with your oncologist.

How Other Stages Compare

Stage	5-Year Survival	Treatment
Stage I (T1–2, N0, M0)	5-year OS: 50–70% with resection; up to 80% if T1a only (mucosa/submucosa).	Extended cholecystectomy (gallbladder, cystic artery, cystic duct lymph nodes,…
Stage IIIA (T4, N0–1, M0)	5-year OS: 10–20% with multimodal therapy (resection + chemotherapy); <5% with chemotherapy alone.	Assess resectability carefully; extended resection (cholecystectomy, hepatic…
IIIB (N2, M0)	5-year OS: <10%, similar to metastatic disease. Median OS ~12–14 months with chemotherapy.	Palliative chemotherapy (gemcitabine/cisplatin or 5-FU/leucovorin x 6–8 cycles)…
Stage IV (M1, any T, any N)	Median OS: 8–12 months with gemcitabine/cisplatin; 14 months with durvalumab + gemcitabine/cisplatin (TOPAZ-1). <5% 2-year OS.	Palliative systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine/cisplatin (standard) or…