Gall bladder cancer Detailed Information

 Gall bladder cancer, also called carcinoma of the gall bladder. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped limb underneath the liver that collects and stores bile (a fluid made by the liver to digest fat). Gallbladder cancer starts in the intimate layer of tissue and spreads through the outer layers as it cultivates. Gall bladder cancer tends to spread to nearby organs and tissues such as the liver or small intestine. It also extends through the lymph system to lymph nodes in the region of the liver (porta hepatis). Gallbladder cancer is most frequently seen in older patients, with a median age at diagnosis of 62-66 years.

It arises more often in women’s. Gallbladder cancer is the fifth most common GI cancer in the United States. Gall bladder cancer is very rare affecting only 7,100 people in the United States per year. Gallbladder cancer infrequently produces premature signs and symptoms. When symptoms do seen, they often look like those of other, more common, gallbladder problems such as gallstones or infection. The bulk of these cancers are "adenocarcinomas", with subtypes such as papillary, nodular, and tubular, depending on the appearance of the tumor cells under the microscope.

Less common subtypes comprise: squamous cell, signet ring cell, and adenosquamous (adenoacanthoma). Gallbladder cancer symptoms consist of jaundice and fever. Most gall bladder cancers are only revealed when they have reached fairly a late stage. They can reason a diversity of symptoms, including sickness and high temperatures, and sudden pain (which may come and go) in the upper right-hand side of the abdomen. The abdomen is the cavity containing several organs including the stomach, gall bladder and liver. Treatment may also depend on the age and general health of the patient and whether the cancer is causing symptoms.

Surgery is a common treatment for cancer of the gallbladder if it has not broadened to surrounding tissues. Laparoscopy is frequently used to eliminate the gallbladder as a treatment for gallstones or chronic irritation of the gallbladder. This operation is called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Chemotherapy employs drugs to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy utilizes high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and minimize tumors. Radiation for gallbladder cancer generally comes from a machine outside the body (external beam radiation therapy). Radiation may be used alone or in addition to surgery.