Gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer accounts for 1.3% of cancer diagnoses and 1.7% of cancer deaths. Because of its rarity, cancer of the gallbladder is often only found once it is well-advanced. An Aurora care professional can help you with your diagnosis and set up a personalized treatment plan.

What is gallbladder cancer?

The gallbladder sits on the right side of the body, just under the liver and near the upper abdomen. The organ uses bile to process fat while helping the liver break down food.

Gallbladder cancer starts as a growth of cells in the inner layer of the gallbladder and then moves to the outer layers as it progresses.

Stages of gallbladder cancer

Your doctor can help guide you through the diagnosis process along with determining which stage your cancer is at. Gallbladder cancer stages are typically determined through various tests and procedures at the time of your appointment.

Gallbladder cancer staging is determined based on the level of treatment needed to remove the cancer cells. The different stages of gallbladder cancer are:

• Stage I: Cancer can be completely removed by surgery
• Stage II: Cancer unable to be completely removed by surgery
• Stage III: Cancer has returned
• Stage IV: Cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic)

What are some signs of gallbladder problems?

Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of gallbladder cancer. Other gallbladder cancer symptoms include:

• Vomiting or nausea
• Jaundice (if the cancer is blocking the liver’s bile ducts)
• Gallbladder swelling causing lumps on the right side of the stomach

Less common gallbladder cancer symptoms can include:

• Loss of appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Swelling or bloating in the abdomen
• Fever
• Itchy skin
• Dark urine
• Light-colored or greasy stools

Risk factors for gallbladder cancer

Certain risk factors can increase your risk of developing gallbladder cancer. Some are adjustable, like smoking. Others, like family history or age, are not. Here are some factors that increase your risk of gallbladder cancer:

• Gallstones
• Porcelain gallbladder (calcification of the gallbladder wall)
• Biliary cysts
• Abnormality of the pancreatic duct junction
• Gallbladder polyps
• Inflammation of the bile ducts
• Chronic infections
• Being female
• Obesity
• Older age
• Exposure to toxins (cigarettes, radon)

Liver and pancreatic cancer, bile duct cancer or hepatobiliary cancer have some of the same risk factors as gallbladder cancer.

Gallbladder cancer diagnosis

Gallbladder cancer is usually found after experiencing possible gallbladder cancer symptoms. It can also be found after the gallbladder is removed due to gallstones or for treatment of long-term inflammation.

If you suspect you have cancer of the gallbladder, your provider will have you go through a series of tests. Your provider will start with a medical history to determine your symptoms and risk factors.

Other tests your provider might order:

• Blood tests to determine liver and gallbladder function
• Imaging tests 
  • Ultrasound
  • CT scan
  • MRI
  • Cholangiography
  • Angiography
  • Laparoscopy
• Biopsies to remove a tissue sample to see if cancer is present

Gallbladder cancer treatment

Depending on the severity and stage, gallbladder cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Your provider will walk through treatment options.

Surgical treatment options

Surgical treatments for gallbladder cancer usually involve removing the gallbladder and some of the tissues around the organ. Often, the first step is a laparoscopy to see how much the cancer has spread and to determine if larger surgery is possible. Laparoscopies are less invasive than other surgery options, making it a great alternative.

If your cancer has spread too much, surgery sometimes isn’t an option. When that happens, your provider will explore palliative care options to help manage your symptoms:

• Biliary bypass: a surgery that creates a new pathway around the blocked bile duct causing buildup in the gallbladder.
• Endoscopic stent: a procedure that places a stent (thin tube) to drain bile fluid that has built up in the area due to blockage.
• Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage: a procedure which drains bile from the blocked area when inserting a stent is not possible.

Clinical trial treatment options

Clinical trials are an option if you’re looking for something outside of surgery. If you choose this route, you can benefit from new treatments before they’re available to the public and help advance medical understanding. Your Aurora care professional can talk to you about your options.