Gallstone size and the risk of gallbladder cancer
A. K. Diehl
Gallstones are a major risk factor for gallbladder cancer, but few persons
with stones experience development of tumors. To examine this relationship,
a case-control study was performed. Each of 81 cancer cases was matched for
age, sex, hospital, and admission date with two controls, one with benign
gallbladder disease and one with a nongallbladder diagnosis. Persons with
large gallstones were found to be at increased risk for cancer. For those
with stone diameters of 2.0 to 2.9 cm, the odds ratio (v stone size less
than 1 cm) was 2.4; for stones 3 cm or larger, the ratio was 10.1. This
association of large gallstones with cancer was not hypothesized before
data analysis and should be replicated in other settings before being
accepted. If confirmed, however, this finding might have implications for
the management of silent gallstones.
