What is gallbladder cancer?
Gallbladder cancer is rare but it is the most common type of
malignancy of the bile tract. A malignancy is an invasive,
uncontrolled growth of cells that can spread.
How does it occur?
The digestive tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach, and large
and small intestines) plus the liver, gallbladder, and
pancreas make up the digestive system. The gallbladder,
which is linked by small ducts to the liver and small
intestine, acts as a storehouse for bile, the substance
needed to digest fats. After you eat a meal, your
gallbladder empties bile into the intestine to help you
digest your food, especially fats. A tumor in the
gallbladder can invade the liver and block the flow of bile,
which then leads to many of the symptoms.
The cause of gallbladder cancer is not known. Most people
who have gallbladder cancer also have gallstones. However,
for a person with gallstones the risk of getting cancer is
very low.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of gallbladder cancer are similar to the
symptoms of gallstones. The symptoms of gallbladder cancer
include:
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- nausea
- vomiting
- pain or discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen
- jaundice (a yellow coloring of the skin and whites of the
eyes caused by bile building up in the body)
- itching of the skin.
How is it diagnosed?
During a physical exam, your healthcare provider may be
able to feel that you have a lump in the upper right part of
your abdomen, just below the ribs. You may have special
X-ray exams and a blood test. However, gallbladder cancer is
difficult to diagnose. Gallbladder cancer is usually found
unexpectedly during surgery to remove gallstones.
How is it treated?
If the tumor is only in the lining of the gallbladder, you
need a cholecystectomy, which is surgery to remove the
gallbladder. If the tumor is more advanced, you need a
radical resection. In a radical resection, the surgeon
removes the gallbladder and lymph nodes in the area, plus
part of the liver. The surgery provides a chance for cure
and can relieve symptoms caused by blockage of bile flow
from the liver to the small bowel (pain, jaundice, itching,
loss of appetite).
Radiation therapy (high doses of radiation to kill the
cancer cells) and chemotherapy (anticancer drugs) are not
usually used to treat gallbladder cancer because these
treatments have not yet been shown to be effective.
How long will the effects last?
If you have a tumor that is only in the lining of the
gallbladder, you have a good chance of cure if your
gallbladder is removed. If your cancer was large enough to
involve the liver or local lymph nodes, then the chance of
cure is lower and depends on the success of the radical
resection.
If the cancer has metastasized (spread), your chances of
recovery are far less. During metastasis, the tumor in your
gallbladder sheds cancer cells that travel through the
bloodstream and lymphatic system and lodge in other parts of
the body, where the cancer cells begin to grow new tumors.
If your cancer has metastasized, talk to your healthcare
provider about your prospects for cure.
How can I take care of myself?
Talk to your healthcare provider about any concerns you
have regarding the course of your illness and treatments.
Ask about side effects you may have from treatments. You
may want to make a list of questions at home and take it
with you when you visit your provider. Ask a friend to go
with you who can listen, too. If you don't understand a
word or concept, ask your provider to explain it. Take
notes if you need to.
When compiling a list of questions, you might consider the
following:
- How far advanced is the cancer? Your healthcare
provider may talk about the stage of the cancer. Ask
what this means.
- To where has it metastasized (spread)?
- What type of treatment is possible?
- How effective is the treatment for gallbladder cancer?
- What are the benefits and risks of having treatment or of
not having treatment?
- What are the complications of treatment?
- By how many months or years will the treatment increase
my life span?
- If I begin having pain, will you give me medicine to
control it?
- Is there a support group in the area for people with
cancer and for their family members?
- May I continue to lead as normal a life as possible as
long as I feel up to it? School? Work? Sex? Travel?
- What are alternative methods for pain control? What
about relaxation techniques, guided imagery, hypnosis?
- Are my children prone to gallbladder cancer?
- What about alternative treatments such as diet, herbs,
vitamins?
- Should I be on a special diet?
It is important to eat a balanced diet, get plenty of rest,
and follow the advice of your healthcare provider. It is
helpful to lessen stress in your life and take time to
relax.
For more information, contact:
What can be done to help prevent gallbladder cancer?
Since gallbladder cancer is a rare cancer of unknown cause,
there is no known way to prevent it.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2007 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.
