Gallbladder cancer, as the name suggests, is a cancer that begins in the gallbladder. Many a time, due to the poor prognosis these types of cancers are discovered at the later stages thus making them difficult to treat. However, identifying the symptoms and seeking proper medical health can help in better assessment.
Watch out for symptoms like abdominal pain, fever, unexplained weight loss, nausea and jaundice and consult a specialist if you experience any of these for proper diagnosis and treatment.
In this blog, we are going to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of gallbladder cancer with an aim to create awareness.
Tests and procedures
- Blood tests
Evaluate your liver functions that may help the doctor to determine the causes of your signs and symptoms.
- Procedures to create images of the gallbladder
In order to create pictures of the gallbladder, procedures like ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used.
How to determine the extent of gallbladder cancer?
Knowing at what extent the cancer has spread in your body is very imperative for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Best doctors always treat cancer patients depending on the stage of cancer and the extent to which the cancer has spread in the body.
Test and procedures
- Exploratory surgery
This kind of surgery is used to look inside your abdomen for signs that gallbladder cancer has spread. This is done through laparoscopy procedure.
Laparoscopic surgeons in Delhi make small incision in which they insert a tiny camera. This camera allows them to examine organs surrounding your gallbladder for any signs of metastasis.
A lot of people prefer to get treated in the laparoscopic surgery centres in Delhi which provide a specialised care along with the use of highly advanced technology and latest approach.
- Test to examine bile ducts
This includes the injection of a dye into the bile ducts followed by an imaging test which is done to records where the dye goes. As a result, it shows blockages in the bile ducts.
- Other imaging tests
When your doctor has a doubt that you might be having cancer, in order to confirm he may recommend a series of scans to help determine whether the cancer has spread or remains localized. The test, procedures and scans may be recommended on the circumstances and current situation.
What are the stages of gallbladder cancer?
Stage 1
When the cancer is confined to the inner layers of the gallbladder.
Stage 2
When the cancer has grown to invade the outer layer of the gallbladder.
Stage 3
When cancer in the gallbladder starts affecting other organs like liver, small intestine or stomach.
Stage 4
This stage leads to the formation of large tumours that involve multiple nearby organs and tumours of any size that has spread to distant areas of the body.
What is the treatment?
The main objective of the treatment is to remove the gallbladder cancer, but when that isn’t possible, other therapies may help control the spread of the disease and keep you as comfortable as possible.
Surgery for early stage gallbladder cancer
- Removing gallbladder can be an option when the cancer is confined to the organ only. Best surgeons often recommend operating the gallbladder in order to prevent further return.
- Removing the gallbladder along with a portion of the liver can be an option when the cancer has spread beyond the gallbladder. So, the liver and bile duct which surrounds it has chances to get affected.
Treatment for late-stage gallbladder cancer
Options may include:
Chemotherapy
A drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill cancer cells.
Radiation therapy
Use of high-powered beams of energy, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells.
A lot of people prefer to undergo gallbladder cancer treatment in Delhi due to the availability of top hospitals that offer a specialised centre for treatment which is managed by an expert team of doctors.