Gallbladder Cancer

It’s important to note that a number of conditions may cause these symptoms, not just gallbladder cancer. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:

• Jaundice
• Pain in the right side above the stomach
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Nausea and vomiting
• Bloating
• Unusual lumps in the abdomen

Before gallbladder cancer can be treated, it must be accurately diagnosed.

Diagnosing gallbladder cancer

Procedures that create pictures of the gallbladder and the area around it help diagnose the cancer and show how far cancer cells have spread within and around the gallbladder. This is called staging.

Some of the tests used to diagnose gallbladder cancer include:

• Ultrasound exam: High-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes to form a picture of body tissues.
• Liver function tests: A blood sample is taken to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the blood by the liver.
• CT scan: A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles.
• X-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the torso.
• MRI: A procedure that creates a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. A dye may be injected into the gallbladder area so the ducts (tubes) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and from the gallbladder to the small intestine will show up better in the image.
• ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography): A procedure used to x-ray the ducts (tubes) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and from the gallbladder to the small intestine.
• Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer
• Laparoscopy: A surgical procedure to look at the organs inside the abdomen to check for signs of disease. Small incisions (cuts) are made in the wall of the abdomen and a laparoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted into one of the incisions.

Gallbladder cancer treatment

Different treatment schedules will be advised for patients with gallbladder cancer, depending on the extent and severity of the cancer. The most common options are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

A cholecystectomy, for example, is a surgical procedure which removes the gallbladder and some of the tissues around it. Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed.

If the cancer has spread further and cannot be removed entirely, the following types of palliative surgery may relieve symptoms:

• Surgical biliary bypass: During this operation, if the tumour is blocking the small intestine and bile is building up, the gallbladder or bile duct will be cut and sewn to the small intestine to create a new pathway around the blocked area.
• Endoscopic stent placement: If the tumour is blocking the bile duct, surgery may be done to put in a stent (a thin, flexible tube) to drain bile that has built up in the area.
• Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage: An alternative treatment to drain bile when there is a blockage and endoscopic stent placement is not possible.