Beyond station 16: A pathway-aware framework for gallbladder cancer lymphadenectomy after neoadjuvant therapy

Figure 3 Proposed algorithm for biology-driven, pathway-aware nodal assessment after neoadjuvant selection in locally advanced or nodal-suspicious gallbladder cancer. The left branch identifies situations in which radical lymph-node dissection should not be pursued. The yellow box marks the authors’ investigational framework rather than standard-of-care management. GBC: Gallbladder cancer; HPB: Hepatopancreatobiliary; LND: Lymph-node dissection; LNR: Lymph-node ratio; MDT: Multidisciplinary team; QoL: Quality of life; DFS: Disease-free survival; OS: Overall survival; CT: Computed tomography; MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging; PET: Positron emission tomography.