ABOUT THE DISEASE
The gallbladder is a pear shaped organ which lies just under the liver in the upper abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile (produced by liver) which helps in digesting fat. Bile is released from the gallbladder through a tube called the common bile duct, which connects the gallbladder and liver to the first part of the small intestine.
The wall of the gallbladder has 3 main layers of tissue.
- Mucosal (innermost) layer
- Muscularis (middle, muscle) layer
- Serosal (outer) layer
The cancer starts in the innermost layer and spreads through the outer layers as it grows.
Gallbladder cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the gallbladder.
SYMPTOMS
Some of the symptoms commonly observed:
- • Jaundice / dark yellow coloured urine / pale coloured stool
- • Nausea & Vomiting
- • Bloating
- • Fever
- • Pain above the stomach
- • Weight loss
CAUSES
Some of the common risk factors associated with gallbladder cancer are:
- Gall stones and inflammation
- Polyps
- Abnormal bile ducts
- Porcelain gall bladder
- Smoking
- Family history
- Obesity
DIAGNOSIS
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Liver function tests
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay
- CA19-9 assay
- CT scan
- ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
- Biopsy
TREATMENT METHODS
Treatment plan is based on the stage and grade of cancer identified. Stage defines the extent to which the cancer has spread and grade defines the kind of cancer cells, i.e slow or fast growing cells.
Surgery is an important treatment for gall bladder cancer. If detected in the early stages, it may be removed using an open cholecystectomy or a laparotomy.
If the cancer has spread beyond the gall bladder, a radical cholecystectomy may be done. This is a major operation which removes the gall bladder, the surrounding tissues, lymph nodes and parts of other organs that may be affected by cancer.
This may be followed up with:
Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy
You may also like to learn about:
Cholangiocarcinoma
Liver cancer
Gallstones
Jaundice
Biliary atresia
Cirrhosis