Abstract
We present four cases of gallbladder cancer producing alphafetoprotein (AFP), which is commonly produced by hepatomas and yolk sac tumors, but is rarely produced by digestive organ cancer including gallbladder cancer except hepatoma. Four specimens showed a tumor grown papillarily and the countent of gallbladder had been filled with tumor. Histopathologically most part of these tumors showed hepatoid pattern. Immunohistochemically, the carcinoma cells showed positive staining for AFP, and were similar to those of the AFP producing adenocarcinoma of the stomach in The General Rules for the Gastric Cancer Study. After operation, the level of AFP had decreased significantly in all cases.
The cancer of the gallbladder producing AFP is the peculial pattern of growth and that of pathological findings. We have a patient living for seven years and two for three years, so we think that the cancer of the gallbladder producing AFP should be resected as well as the cancer of no producing AFP.
