Gallbladder cancer is a rare oncological disease. It is practically not found in people under 50 years of age. Women get sick more often.
Age (gallbladder cancer is more common in people over 70 years of age)
Gallbladder polyps
Calcification of the gallbladder wall (porcelain gallbladder)
Congenital malformations of the bile ducts
Smoking
Obesity
Heredity
Early-stage gallbladder cancer is asymptomatic. In about 1 out of 5 cases (20%), the disease is detected during gallstone surgery.
As the disease progresses, symptoms such as:
Nausea
High temperature
Weight loss
If the tumor blocks the bile duct, it prevents the outflow of bile from the gallbladder into the small intestine and the development of jaundice.
The above symptoms may be a manifestation of inflammatory diseases and cholelithiasis, and it is necessary to consult a doctor to clarify the diagnosis.
In the early stages, gallbladder cancer is difficult to diagnose, since significant clinical manifestations of the disease are either absent or disguised as other diseases of the biliary system.
To diagnose and assess the spread of the process to neighboring tissues and organs, the following examinations are performed:
Ultrasound
Computed tomography
MRI(magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography)
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)
Endoscopic ultrasound
Angiography (examination of blood vessels close to the bile ducts that feed the liver tissue)
Stage I
The tumor affects only the walls of the gallbladder. Approximately 25% of cases are diagnosed at the first stage.
Stage II
The tumor grows through the walls of the gallbladder. But it does not spread to nearby lymph nodes and neighboring organs.
Stage III
The tumor has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to the liver, stomach, intestines, colon or small intestine.
Stage IV
The tumor has spread deep into two or more neighboring organs or has metastasized to lymph nodes and distant organs, such as the lungs.
The choice of treatment method depends on the patient's general health, the location and volume of the tumor, and the prevalence of the malignant process.
In case of gallbladder cancer, an open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed - surgical removal of the gallbladder and resection of part of the liver. With a common process, it is also possible to remove regional (neighboring) lymph nodes.
After the operation, the patient spends about two weeks in the hospital on average.
Radiation and chemotherapy are performed after surgery, if the tumor has not been completely removed, to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, as well as in case of a recurrent process.
.webp)
