02 Mar Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer: Risk Factors, Treatment, and Mortality

The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ that is responsible for storing bile, which is a liquid made by your liver. It is then released into the small intestine to aid in the digestion of food.  

There are common conditions affecting the gallbladder, including gallstones, Cholecystitis, gallstone pancreatitis, and gallbladder cancer, which is a rare type of cancer.  

The World Health Organization ranked gallbladder cancer as the 22nd most common type of cancer to be diagnosed. The countries with the highest rate of diagnosis for this illness were China, India, and Japan.  

Gallbladder cancer might also be diagnosed when it has reached an advanced stage. Most symptoms associated with the disease are also commonly found in other common conditions, which makes the cancerous cells rapidly grow without detection and treatment.  

Common Symptoms of Gallbladder Cancer  

Usually, the disease shows no symptoms. If it shows any signs, those might come up as:  

• Belly pain, mostly felt in the upper right part  

• Bloating  

• Nausea  

• Fever  

• Chills  

• Light-brown pee  

• Mass you can feel underneath the skin  

• Unintentional weight loss  

• Jaundice, which is usually seen when the gallbladder cancer has already reached its advanced stage  

Talk to your doctor if you have been experiencing these symptoms to ensure early and accurate diagnosis and treatment.  

Gallbladder Cancer: Treatment Options   

The usual treatment for gallbladder cancer is surgery, but this treatment option might not be possible if the cancer has spread to the nearby organs.   

Other treatment options include chemotherapy, which medical experts usually recommend for patients at risk of having some cancerous cells remaining despite surgery.  

Radiation therapy is also an option, which can be used with chemotherapy after surgery, if all the cancerous cells have not been removed.  

Immunotherapy is given to patients whose cancer has grown large or has spread to other parts of the body.  

Gallbladder Cancer Risk Factors  

The cause of gallbladder cancer remains uncertain, but there are risk factors that can increase your chances of being diagnosed with the illness.  

Factors that can increase your chances of getting gallbladder cancer include:  

• Being a woman, women get gallbladder cancer up to four times more than men.  

• Old age: gallbladder cancer becomes more common after age 65, but it can also happen to children.  

• History of other gallbladder conditions  

• Bile ducts inflammation  

Preventing gallbladder cancer is just the same as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes:  

• Being at a healthy weight  

• Regular exercise  

• Eating a balanced diet  

• Drinking alcoholic beverages moderately