Gallbladder Cancer – What You Need to Know
Having gallbladder cancer can be very scary for people, but with the right treatment, you can be well on your way to recovering. This article looks at what the disease is, how it’s treated, and the symptoms it can cause.
Symptoms
Symptoms of gallbladder cancer can be vague and can be missed because of other symptoms. However, when you are experiencing a specific symptom, you should seek medical attention immediately. Fortunately, there are tests that can be performed to determine if you have gallbladder cancer. If your gallbladder cancer is diagnosed early, cancer can be cured. If the cancer is not treated early, cancer may spread to other parts of the body.
Some of the symptoms of gallbladder cancer include abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of appetite. These symptoms are more common in the later stages of the disease. However, in some cases, the symptoms are more related to a non-cancerous gallbladder condition, such as biliary colic.
Symptoms of gallbladder cancer may also include jaundice. This condition occurs when there is too much bilirubin in the blood. This can cause light-colored stools and nausea. In some cases, the bilirubin may build up to cause intense itching and yellowing of the skin. If you experience jaundice, your doctor may perform a test to determine if you have gallbladder disease.
Gallbladder cancer can be diagnosed through various means, including physical examination, imaging tests, and a biopsy. Cancer may be cured with surgery or chemotherapy, which kills cancer cells. Cancer may also be treated by radiation, which uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. The treatment plans depend on the spread of cancer, your overall health, and the size of the tumor.
Surgery may be performed to remove the gallbladder and nearby lymph nodes. During the surgery, your doctor may use a laparoscope to take tissue samples for a biopsy. This procedure may also be performed to determine if cancer has spread.
Other treatments for gallbladder cancer include chemotherapy, radiation, and palliative care. These treatments can improve your quality of life and prolong your life. Some of the side effects of chemotherapy include mouth sores, nausea, and easy bruising.
During chemotherapy, your doctor may inject drugs into your blood or use a machine outside of your body. Your doctor may also prescribe oral drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs can include cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and 5-fluorouracil.
Diagnosis
Detecting gallbladder cancer is crucial to achieving accurate diagnosis and successful treatment. Gallbladder cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy that occurs in cells that form the gallbladder. These cells can spread to other parts of the body.
Gallbladder cancer may present with symptoms that are similar to those of other hepatobiliary disorders. This may include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, weight loss, and jaundice. In addition to symptoms, imaging tests may be ordered to diagnose gallbladder cancer.
CT and MRI scans can help in diagnosing gallbladder cancer. These tests can also help stage the disease and assess the response to treatment. The MRI scans can also help identify recurrences after surgery.
Other tests can help to determine the extent of cancer spread. Among these tests is bile cytology, which tests the bile to see if there are any cancer cells.
Abdominal pain and jaundice may indicate more advanced disease. Liver function tests can also be helpful. If the tumor has spread to the liver, bilirubin obstruction may occur. This may lead to elevated liver function tests.
Endoscopic ultrasound can help to identify the depth of tumor invasion. It is also useful for assessing regional lymphadenopathy.
Liver function tests are also useful in conjunction with CEA. Anorexia may indicate advanced disease. A chest x-ray may rule out metastatic disease.
The most common clinical feature of gallbladder cancer is right upper quadrant pain. This pain can be diffuse or persistent. It may also include scleral icterus, weight loss, and jaundice.
Gallbladder cancer is the most common cancer of the biliary system. It usually presents in patients who are over the age of 62. A high index of suspicion is needed for accurate diagnosis. This can reduce the risk of mortality and morbidity.
Gallbladder cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with a high rate of recurrence. Treatment depends on the type of cancer and the spread of cancer. For some patients, surgical resection may be the only available treatment option. In others, chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy may be indicated.
Immunotherapy boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. Other treatments include palliative stenting and drainage.
Treatment
Depending on the stage of your gallbladder cancer, your doctor will decide how to treat it. You may have to undergo surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy.
Usually, the first step in gallbladder cancer treatment is surgery. Surgery can help control symptoms, such as pain, or it may remove cancer itself. You may also have tests, such as CT scans and MRI scans, to look for remaining cancer.
The surgeon may also remove nearby lymph nodes to check for cancer. These lymph nodes are tested in a laboratory. If cancer is present, a biopsy may be performed to remove the cells.
If you have cancer that has spread beyond the gallbladder, it is known as advanced gallbladder cancer. This type of cancer is difficult to treat. The goal is to keep cancer from growing and to maintain a quality of life. This treatment may involve chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or palliative care.
Some people may have to undergo more than one operation to remove cancer. A second operation may be more extensive and may involve removing parts of the liver or a bile duct. You may also have chemotherapy, which can be given after surgery to kill cancer cells.
Your surgeon may prescribe radiotherapy to relieve symptoms or to lower the risk of cancer recurring. The treatment may be given after surgery, or it may be used in combination with chemotherapy.
The surgeon may also use chemotherapy to treat advanced cancer. Chemotherapy is given as an adjuvant treatment. This treatment can control microscopic deposits of cancer. If cancer does not respond to treatment, you may have to undergo a second operation. You may also choose to take part in clinical trials. This may involve finding new treatments for gallbladder cancer.
You may choose to participate in clinical trials to see if a new treatment can help you live longer. The National Cancer Institute has a website where you can learn about clinical trials. You can also search for a trial by age, type of cancer, or location.
The National Institutes of Health provides information about gallbladder cancer. You may also ask questions to a doctor or other cancer expert on the NCI forum.
Survival rates
Survivorship rates for gallbladder cancer can be surprisingly high – in fact, more than one in two patients live for at least five years after being diagnosed. Nevertheless, the prognosis is still poor and the survival rate varies by the stage of cancer and by the patient’s overall health. In addition to treatment, risk factors such as age, gender, family history, and race can also play a part.
The main goal of gallbladder cancer treatment is to reduce the size of the tumor. This may be accomplished by surgery or chemotherapy. Depending on the stage of cancer, additional treatments such as radiation therapy may be necessary. The outlook is better for patients with Grade 1 and Grade 2 cancers. Surgical treatments may be combined with chemotherapy, which is given as an infusion through an IV.
Surgery can be performed to remove the gallbladder and lymph nodes. Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells that have spread beyond the gallbladder. The remaining tumor may be removed after treatment. Other treatments may include radiation therapy and immunotherapy.
One study examined patients’ responses to surgery for gallbladder cancer. The study used a large population-based sample. It also compared two types of non-surgical palliative treatments.
The survival rate of patients with microscopic residual disease after surgery ranged from six to seven months. Survival could be extended to twelve months with adjuvant external beam radiotherapy. The authors of a systematic review concur that overall survival is important for making decisions. The study also found that survival rates increased after the treatment of microscopic residual disease.
Patients with unresectable gallbladder cancer may undergo surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. These treatments vary depending on the stage of cancer and the patient’s overall health. The patient may also receive targeted chemotherapy drugs.
Survival rates for gallbladder cancer vary widely and are approximations. Some factors that can increase the risk of developing gallbladder cancer include age, obesity, and gallstones. Several risk factors cannot be changed. However, newer imaging techniques may allow earlier detection. In addition, patients with gallbladder cancer may benefit from targeted drugs, which are more specific than chemotherapy.
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