Gallbladder cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow in the lining of your gallbladder (bile duct). This is usually the result of chronic irritation and inflammation caused by gallstones or long-term conditions such as cholecystitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.
Risk factors for gallbladder cancer include age, gender, race, family history and a build-up of calcium deposits in your gallbladder. In addition, chronic infection with Salmonella typhi, a bacteria that causes typhoid fever, increases your risk of developing this disease.
The best way to prevent gallbladder cancer is to detect it early. Your doctor may recommend a test called a CT scan, which uses X-rays to look for cancer or other signs of disease in your gallbladder. Your doctor may also do blood or urine tests to see if you have an infection or certain chemicals in your body that suggest a gallbladder problem.
Your doctor can also use X-rays to find out whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. These tests are called cancer staging and help your provider decide on the best treatment for you.
Cancer is staged using a system called TNM, which stands for tumor, node, and metastasis. This helps your doctor decide the best treatment for you and tells if the cancer has spread outside of your gallbladder to other organs or to the lymph nodes in your abdomen.
TNM stages are numbered 0 through 4 and are based on how far the abnormal cells have grown into your gallbladder wall. The higher the number, the more your cancer has spread. Your doctor can give you a staging number after he or she completes the procedure to look at your gallbladder and nearby areas of your body with a laparoscope.
If the cancer has spread beyond your gallbladder, your doctor may need to do surgery or other procedures to remove the cancer and the tissue that has been affected by it. Your doctor may also prescribe drugs, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, to kill any remaining cancerous cells that can’t be removed with surgery.
Some people have choledochal cysts, sacs that connect to your bile duct and fill with bile. They can become large and cause problems, especially when they leak bile into the common bile duct. These cysts can be painful and hard to get rid of.
These cysts can form slowly and can hold up to 2 litres of bile. They can also show signs of precancerous changes in the lining, which can increase your risk of getting gallbladder cancer later.
A cholangiogram is a special X-ray that can show the condition of your gallbladder and the bile duct. A cholangiogram can also check for abnormalities in the walls of your bile duct, like a swollen or weak area that lets digestive juices flow back up into your common bile duct.
Surgical removal of the gallbladder is often the first treatment for gallbladder cancer. It can be done by removing the entire gallbladder or just the tumor. It’s a surgical procedure that can save your life, if it is found and treated early.
