Occult Nodal Disease in Gallbladder Cancer: An International Multi-institutional Analysis and Preoperative Risk Stratification

OND was present in approximately one-third of clinically node-negative GBC patients undergoing lymphadenectomy. Preoperative jaundice, elevated CA19-9, and elevated SII independently predicted OND and provided simple risk stratification. Incorporating these readily available markers into preoperative assessment may improve risk enrichment for OND and help guide additional staging and treatment sequencing.