Gallbladder Cancer: How Is It Diagnosed And Treated?

The gallbladder is a little sac-like organ that is located under your liver and measures 3 inches long by 1 inch wide. Its purpose is to store bile, a fluid made by your liver, which is then released into your small intestine to help with food digestion. Gallstones. which are hardened deposits of bile that can form in the gallbladder, can range in size from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. Some people only develop one gallstone, while others develop many at once. People who experience symptoms from their gallstones typically need gallbladder removal surgery. It is important to take note of these and treat them as gallstones are a common risk factor for gallbladder cancer. 

Staging of Cancer

The following are the stages used to describe the progress of cancer.

Stage 0: Describes cancer in situ.

Stage 1: A tumor is found only in the gallbladder and has not spread.

Stage 2: A tumor has extended to the perimuscular connective tissue, but has not spread elsewhere.

Stage 3A: A tumor has spread beyond the gallbladder but not to nearby arteries or veins. It has not spread to any lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Stage 3B: A tumor of any size has spread to nearby lymph nodes but not to nearby arteries and/or veins or to other parts of the body.

Stage 4A: A tumor has spread to nearby arteries, veins, and/or nearby lymph nodes, but it has not spread to other parts of the body.

Stage 4B: Describes any tumor that has spread to other parts of the body or any tumor that has distant lymph node spread, even if it has not spread to distant organs.

Gallbladder Cancer FAQs

What are the chances of surviving?

More than 45 out of 100 people survive gallbladder cancer for at least 1 year. Around 20 out of 100 people survive gallbladder cancer for at least 5 years.

Depending on the stage, gallbladder cancer has a variable prognosis. Compared to advanced stages of cancer, early-stage cancer has a substantially better prognosis.

The five-year survival rate is the percentage of those with an illness who are still alive five years after diagnosis. The average five-year survival rate for gallbladder cancer at all stages is 19%.

The five-year survival rate for gallbladder cancer, according to ASCO, is:

• 80% for a localized carcinoma (Stage 0)
• 50% for cancer that is limited to the gallbladder (Stage 1)
• 8% of cancer cases that had lymph node metastases (Stage 3)
• Less than 4% of cancers that have spread have metastasized (Stage 4)

How is gallbladder cancer removed?

In most cases of gallbladder cancer, a more thorough procedure termed an extended or radical cholecystectomy is performed because removing just the gallbladder runs the risk of the disease returning. This procedure can be complicated, so make sure your surgeon is skilled in it.

Is gallbladder cancer hard to treat?

Only when cancer has not spread may it be surgically removed. If cancer has spread, palliative care can enhance the patient’s quality of life by reducing the symptoms and difficulties of the condition.

Does gallbladder cancer spread quickly?

Yes. In order to prevent the disease from spreading, it’s critical to begin treatment as soon as a diagnosis of gallbladder cancer is received. Patients could also inquire about clinical trial availability with their medical staff.

Does high cholesterol cause gallbladder stones?

Gallstones can be brought on by an excess of cholesterol, bile salts, or bilirubin (a bile pigment). Cholelithiasis is the medical term for the presence of gallstones within the gallbladder itself, while choledocholithiasis is the medical term for the presence of gallstones within the bile ducts.

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