Gallbladder cancer
Gallbladder cancer is a relatively uncommon cancer, with an incidence of fewer than 2 cases per 100,000 people per year in the United States. It is particularly common in central and South America, central and eastern Europe, Japan and northern India; it is also common in certain ethnic groups e.g. Native American Indians and Hispanics. If it is diagnosed early enough, it can be cured by removing the gallbladder, part of the liver and associated lymph nodes. Most often it is found after symptoms such as abdominal pain, jaundice and vomiting occur, and it has spread to other organs such as the liver.
| Gallbladder cancer | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Gastroenterology Hepatology Oncology |
| Symptoms | Abdominal pain, Bloating, Fever, Unexplained weight loss, Nausea, Yellowing of the skin, although some people may have no symptoms |
| Complications | Cancer spreading to other parts of the body |
| Usual onset | Above 65 years old |
| Types | Adenocarcinoma (most common), Squamous cell carcinoma (more rare) |
| Causes | Unknown |
| Risk factors | History of Gallstones and other Gallbladder diseases |
| Diagnostic method | Blood tests, medical imaging, examination of the Bile duct |
| Differential diagnosis | Other types of cancer in the Digestive system |
| Treatment | Surgery, Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy |
| Prognosis | Five-year survival rate ~19% (USA) (January, 2020) |
| Frequency | ~3,700 cases per year (USA) |
| Deaths | ~2,000 deaths per year (USA) |
It is a rare cancer that is thought to be related to gallstones building up, which also can lead to calcification of the gallbladder, a condition known as porcelain gallbladder. Porcelain gallbladder is also rare. Some studies indicate that people with porcelain gallbladder have a high risk of developing gallbladder cancer, but other studies question this. The outlook is poor for recovery if the cancer is found after symptoms have started to occur, with a 5-year survival rate of close to 3%.