Considered one of the less frequent malignant tumors in the world. Cancer cells are found in the gallbladder, an organ below the liver that stores bile, a fluid produced by the liver to digest fats.
It is more common in women than in men and more frequent in the elderly, being a risk factor that you have or have had some type of accumulation of material in the gallbladder (gallstones). This cancer is found only in the tissues that make up the wall of the gallbladder. This type of cancer can be completely eliminated through a surgical operation. A cholecystectomy may also be performed, that is, in addition to the gallbladder, nearby tissues are removed.
In some cases, a study is also done to evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation therapy in combination with surgery. Cancer is completely impossible to remove surgically because it has spread to surrounding tissues and may have reached the liver, stomach, pancreas, intestine, or lymph nodes in the area.
At this stage, bile duct obstruction is common, so surgery is performed to remove the obstruction. Surgical operations, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are also used for palliative purposes.
Gallbladder cancer usually does not cause signs or symptoms until later in the course of the disease, although symptoms can sometimes appear earlier and lead to an early diagnosis. If the cancer is in an earlier stage, treatment may be more effective.
Some of the most common symptoms of gallbladder cancer are: abdominal pain; Most people with gallbladder cancer will have abdominal pain. Nausea and / or vomiting, jaundice (Color yellowish skin and whites of the eyes); protrusions in the abdomen this will depend on whether the cancer blocks the bile ducts, the gallbladder can swell and grow larger than normal. Other symptoms:
Less common symptoms of gallbladder cancer include:
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss.
- Swelling in the abdomen (belly)
Fever.
- Itchy skin
- Dark urine.
- Pale or greasy stools.
