Gall Bladder

The gallbladder is a small pouch that sits just under the liver. The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver. The gallbladder stores bile that is produced by the liver and removes water and salt from it. It contracts when we eat, especially fatty food and pushes bile down the bile duct into the intestine.

Gall Bladder Cancer

Gallbladder cancer is cancer that begins in the gallbladder. It is uncommon in most parts of the world but not in India. Here it is fairly common especially in the northern parts of India & the Gangetic belt. When gallbladder cancer is discovered at its earliest stages, the chance for a cure is very good. But most gallbladder cancers are discovered at not so early or late stage, when prognosis is often very poor. Gallbladder cancer is difficult to diagnose because it often causes no signs or symptoms. Also, the relatively hidden nature of the gallbladder makes it easier for gallbladder cancer to grow without being detected.

What Are Causes & Risk Factors?

It’s not clear what causes gallbladder cancer. Doctors know that gallbladder cancer forms when healthy gallbladder cells develop changes in their genes (mutation). These mutations cause cells to grow out of control and to continue living when other cells would normally die. The accumulating cells form a tumor that can grow beyond the gallbladder and spread to other areas of the body. Most gallbladder cancer begins in the cells that line the inner surface of the gallbladder. Gallbladder cancer that begins in this type of cell is most commonly called adenocarcinoma. This term refers to the way the cancer cells appear when examined under a microscope. Gallbladder cancer is more common in women than it is in men & your risk of gallbladder cancer increases as you age. There are a number of risk factors that may increase your chances of developing this type of cancer.

Treatment Of Gall Bladder Cancer

The treatment of gall bladder cancer is difficult because of late diagnosis and advanced stage of disease at the time of diagnosis since the disease easily involves surrounding organs and important indispensable arteries and veins. The best treatment for gall bladder cancer is surgery to remove the cancer (resection) by a specialist hepatobiliary surgeon. However this is possible only when the cancer is not spread to other tissues like liver, peritoneum, lungs, and bone etcetera.

Not all patients are lucky enough to undergo a curative surgery for various reasons and these patients undergo various palliative therapies. (Treatments that palliate or reduce complaints but don’t cure the patient)

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