Gallbladder Cancer
The gallbladder is a small pouch that sits just under the liver. The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver. After meals, the gallbladder is empty and flat, like a deflated balloon. Before a meal, the gallbladder may be full of bile and about the size of a small pear. In response to signals, the gallbladder squeezes stored bile into the small intestine through a series of tubes called ducts. Bile helps digest fats, but the gallbladder itself is not essential. Removing the gallbladder in an otherwise healthy individual typically causes no observable problems with health or digestion yet there may be a small risk of diarrhea and fat malabsorption.
Gallbladder Conditions:
Gallstones (cholelithiasis): For unclear reasons, substances in bile can crystallize in the gallbladder, forming gallstones. Common and usually harmless, gallstones can sometimes cause pain, nausea, or inflammation.
Cholecystitis: Infection of the gallbladder, often due to a gallstone in the gallbladder. Cholecystitis causes severe pain and fever and can require surgery when infection continues or recurs.
Gallbladder cancer: Although rare, cancer can affect the gallbladder. It is difficult to diagnose and is usually found at late stages when symptoms appear. Symptoms may resemble those of gallstones.
Gallstone pancreatitis: An impacted gallstone blocks the ducts that drain the pancreas. Inflammation of the pancreas results in a serious condition.
People who have gallstones or have had gallstones in the past are more likely to develop gallbladder cancer. The risk may be higher for people with larger gallstones. It is still very rare to develop gallbladder cancer in people with gallstones, however. The size and number of gallstones can vary and they may or may not be symptomatic. In most cases, the gallbladder must be removed.
Types of Gallbladder Cancer
Most gallbladder cancers are a type called adenocarcinoma. Cancer cells in the gallbladder sometimes spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs.
The type of gallbladder cancer depends on the kind of cell where it began. Several varieties of cells in the gallbladder develop different gallbladder cancer types. Pathologists (doctors who specialize in diagnosing disease) can identify the type of gallbladder cancer by looking at tumour cells under a microscope.
Gallbladder Adenocarcinoma
Most gallbladder cancer — about 90 percent — is adenocarcinoma. This growth begins in the glandlike cells that line the insides of the gallbladder. There are three types of adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder:
non papillary adenocarcinoma
papillary adenocarcinoma
mucinous adenocarcinoma
Nonpapillary adenocarcinoma is the most common.
Papillary adenocarcinoma is rare and less likely to spread to the liver and nearby lymph nodes. People with this type of gallbladder cancer have a better outlook than most people with gallbladder adenocarcinoma.
Mucinous adenocarcinoma is even rarer.
Symptoms
An upper right abdomen pain intensifies suddenly and rapidly.
Intense pain just below your breastbone in the center of your abdomen.
Soreness in your shoulder.
Pain in your right shoulder.
Nausea or vomiting.
Causes
Cysts of the choledochal duct
Bile duct disorders
Jaundice, fever, and body pain
Obesity
Excess protein and calcium content in the body
Typhoid
Hereditary factors
Gallbladder cancer is more likely to develop in women.
Risk factors
Factors that can increase the risk of gallbladder cancer include:
Gallbladder cancer is more common in women.
Risk of gallbladder cancer increases by age.
Gallbladder cancer is most common in people who have gallstones or have had gallstones in the past. Larger gallstones may carry a larger risk. Still, gallstones are very common and even in people with this condition, gallbladder cancer is very rare.
Other gallbladder conditions that can increase the risk of gallbladder cancer include polyps, chronic inflammation and infection.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis, which causes inflammation of the ducts that drain bile from the gallbladder and liver, increases the risk of gallbladder cancer.
Treatment
Standard treatments
Surgery
Radiation therapy
Chemotherapy
Modern Treatments
Radiation sensitizers
Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy
Precautions and Conclusion
Follow-up tests may be needed post-treatment. Any problems you may be experiencing should be discussed with your health care team. Symptoms and side effects can then be treated as soon as possible by the health care team. Preventing more serious complications is also possible. Good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle are very important.
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