Implications of precursor lesions and early cancerous changes in the gallbladder and bile ducts

The study explores terminology, classification, and significance of dysplasia and early carcinoma in the gallbladder and bile ducts. Most precursor lesions and early cancerous changes are clinically undetectable. Low-grade dysplasia is challenging to define and lacks clinical significance, but additional sampling is required to exclude significant lesions. High-grade dysplasia (carcinoma in situ) necessitates complete sampling to rule out invasion. Visible masses (intracholecystic and intraductal neoplasms) account for 5% to 10% of invasive cancers. Different subtypes of neoplasms exhibit varying clinical behavior, with some having a protracted clinical course and others leading to mortality.