Gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer is a relatively uncommon cancer. If it is diagnosed early enough, it can be cured by removing the gallbladder. Most often it is found after symptoms such as abdominal pain and jaundice occur, and it has spread to other organs such as the liver.

It is a rare cancer that is still being studied and thought to be related to gallstones building up, which also can lead to calcification of the gallbladder, a condition known as Porcelain gallbladder. Porcelain gallbladder is also rare and most people with porcelain gallbladder also have gallbladder cancer. The connection is uncertain. The outlook is poor for recovery if the cancer is found after symptoms have started to occur.

Risk factors

    * Gender: More women than men are affected by gallbladder cancer, mostly commonly between the ages of 50 and 60.

    * Obesity increases the risk for gallbladder cancer. It is most common in indigenous peoples of the Americas.

    * Primary carcinoma is linked to chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis.

    * Alcohol

Signs and Symptoms

    * Steady pain in the upper right abdomen for around 2 months.

    * Diarrhea

    * Burping

    * Weakness

    * Loss of appetite

    * Weight loss

    * Vomiting

    * Infection, leading to peritonitis, gangrene, perforation, and or liver abscess

    * Jaundice, due to obstruction

Early symptoms mimic gallbladder inflammation and gallstones, which must be excluded as the cause. Later, the symptoms may be that of biliary obstruction.

  Disease Course

 Most tumors are adenocarcinomas, with a small percent being squamous cell carcinomas. The cancer commonly spreads to the liver, pancreas, stomach,and duodenum.

Diagnosis

Early diagnosis is not generally possible. People at high risk, such as women or Native Americans with frequent gallstones, are evaluated closely. Endoscopic ultrasound, transabdominal ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, and MR cholangiopancreatography can be used to diagnose.

Treatment 

The most common and most effective treatment is surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) with lymph node dissection. However, with gallbladder cancer's extremely poor prognosis, most will die by one year following the surgery. If surgery is not possible, endoscopic stenting of the biliary tree can reduce jaundice. Chemotherapy and radiation may also be used with surgery.