Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
GALLBLADDER CANCER
Gallbladder cancer is very uncommon. Women are more likely to have gall
bladder cancer than men. The risk increases with increasing age. It is more
common in patients who have stones in the gall bladder, the risk being
about 1%. Other diseases of the gall bladder, such as, porcelain (calcified)
gallbladder, choledochal (bile duct) cyst and chronic gallbladder infection
also increase the risk of gall bladder cancer.
It's not clear what causes gallbladder cancer. Most gallbladder cancer
begins in the cells that line the inner surface of the gallbladder and is
called as adenocarcinoma. Gall bladder cancer tends to spread to nearby
organs and tissues such as the liver, bile ducts or small intestine. It also
spreads to lymph nodes in the region of the liver. Ultimately, distant organs
and lymph nodes can become involved.
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), itching, bloating,
abdominal pain, weight loss, decreasing appetite, fever, nausea & vomiting or an
enlarging abdominal mass are all signs that may be attributable to gall bladder
cancer. Frequently, jaundice is a late development and the other symptoms have
been present for a long time. Sometimes, it is detected incidentally on the biopsy
after cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal operation) for gallstone disease. When
diagnosed in this situation, it is generally at a very early stage and the chance for
cure is very good.
Stage I : Cancer has formed and has spread beyond the inner (mucosal)
layer to a layer of tissue with blood vessels or to the muscle layer
Stage II : Cancer has spread beyond the muscle layer to the connective
tissue around the muscle.
Stage IIIA : Cancer has spread through the thin layers of tissue that cover
the gallbladder and/or to the liver and/or to one nearby organ (eg, stomach,
small intestine, colon, pancreas, or bile ducts outside the liver)
Stage IIIB : Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and [#Section_218]
beyond the inner layer of the gallbladder to a layer of tissue with blood
vessels or to the muscle layer; or beyond the muscle layer to the connective
tissue around the muscle; or through the thin layers of tissue that cover the
gallbladder and/or to the liver and/or to one nearby organ
Stage IVA : Cancer has spread to a main blood vessel of the liver or to 2 or
more nearby organs or areas other than the liver. Cancer may have spread to
nearby lymph nodes.
Stage IVB : Cancer has spread to either lymph nodes along large arteries in
the abdomen and/or near the lower part of the backbone or to organs or areas
far away from the gallbladder.
Your treatment will depend on the stage, grade and type of cancer cells
you have. The stage looks at the size of your cancer and if it has
spread from where it started.
The grade of the cancer can tell if your cancer grows quickly or
slowly. You can have a low, moderate or high grade cancer.
Surgery
Surgery offers the best chance of curing early-stage cancer that has not spread beyond the
gallbladder. To determine if surgery is possible, surgical oncologist at DHRC may order
images of the gallbladder, bile ducts and the liver. Surgeons will use a camera and
miniature instruments inserted through tiny incisions in the abdomen (laparoscopic
surgery) to see if the tumor has spread (metastasized). Surgery options include:
Simple cholecystectomy If the tumor is very small and has not spread to the deeper
layers of gallbladder tissue, the surgeon may use this procedure, which removes only
the gallbladder. Occasionally this procedure can be done using laparoscopic surgery.
Extended cholecystectomy. This is the most commonly performed surgery, involving
removal of the gallbladder, the liver tissue next to it, and nearby lymph nodes.
Chemotherapy
When the cancer has spread to other organs, medical oncologists may recommend
chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy currently does not cure advanced gallbladder cancer, but sometimes
slows the disease's progression.
Email your medical reports to us at info@mymedopinion.comand get a Free Medical Opinion.
Call Us :+91-9654683991
Mail Us :info@mymedopinion.com
Get Free opinion from Best & Top Doctors in India
Visit us at: www.mymedopinion.com
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy treats cancer by using high-energy x-rays that destroy the cancer
cells while doing as little harm as possible to normal cells. It is occasionally used
for cancer of the gall bladder. It can either be given externally from a radiotherapy
machine or internally by placing radioactive material close to the tumour
(brachytherapy).
What is a cholecystectomy?
A cholecystectomy is an operation in which the gallbladder is taken out. A more
extensive surgery also takes out part of the liver around the gallbladder, nearby
lymph nodes, and sometimes other nearby tissues or organs.
How it Works