Gallbladder Cancer: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

A rare form of cancer, Gallbladder cancer occurs when the malignant or cancer cells reside in the tissues of the gallbladder, located right below the liver. The pear-shaped small organ, gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver in the body. This bile is released through the common bile duct. The bile duct is the connecting bridge between the liver and the gallbladder. The vulnerability of gallbladder cancer is more for females and Native Americans. The worst feature of gallbladder cancer is that the disease does not get diagnosed early. Symptoms are noticed after a long span since the onset of cancer in the gallbladder.

However, most of the gallbladder cancer generally are adenocarcinomas. These cancers start in the cells and get connected nearer internal and external body parts and even the digestive system.

As the symptoms show up later in the course, the complications in treatment are more. An early diagnosis, in any case, will make treatment more effective and efficient to cure.

Some common symptoms of gallbladder cancer include severe abdominal pain in the upper right portion of the belly, frequent vomiting tendency, lump in the belly. The lump is due to the block of the bile duct by the cancer cell that makes the gallbladder larger in size. Jaundice is also a symptom of gallbladder cancer. Other symptoms include itchy skin, dark colour urine, greasy or white coloured stools, sudden weight loss and loss of appetite.

If you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you should immediately consult with a doctor and get a diagnosis done.

The doctor would ask for a detailed information regarding the symptoms and the tenure of the symptoms too. The patient is prescribed to undergo few medical tests like blood tests and MRI or computerized tomography of the gallbladder in order to get a clear picture of the condition of the gallbladder. Sometimes, the doctor also recommends conducting a surgery in order to check how deep cancer has spread. Bile ducts are also tested.

These medical tests will determine the current stage of gallbladder cancer. There are four stages of gallbladder cancer. The first stage remains to confine to the inner portion of the gallbladder whereas stage II ensures the presence of cancer extended to the outer layer of the organ. While in stage III, cancer has spread to the nearby organs of the like small intention, liver and the stomach too. Fourth or the last stage of gallbladder cancer leads to large size tumours in various organs of the body.

For early-stage gallbladder cancer, treatment remains limited to surgery and medication. In some cases, the doctor suggests for the removal of the gallbladder and for patients with cancer that has already extended to the liver organ, both the gallbladder and a portion of the liver is operated and removed.

However, severe or last stages of gallbladder cancer are treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Needless to mention, the extensive treatment for treating gallbladder cancer is accompanied by several severe side effects. Besides the hazards faced after undergoing a surgery, the prime source of side effects remains the chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Some adverse side effects of chemotherapy are drastic hair loss, nausea and vomiting, severe diarrhoea, loss of appetite and weight loss. Moreover, due to a reduced number of red blood cells, the person is extremely prone towards fatigue and more vulnerable to infections at a high level.

Recovery entirely rests on the severity of the condition of the patient. Being diagnosed at an early stage, treatment and medication can help to cure.

However, if the person is diagnosed at the last or stage IV level, 50% of 100 generally survives for around 5 years from the onset of the symptoms and the diagnosis.

The cost of the treatment varies greatly. For patients who undergo surgery, the cost varies between 80,000 INR to 2,00000 INR. However, in case of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, it includes a huge cost around 2,00000 to 20,00000 INR.

Recovery depends on the condition of the patient, the extent to which cancer got spread. For patients being diagnosed at stage I, recovery is usually attained considered that the patient takes required treatment and care. Whereas, for patient enduring the last stage of gallbladder cancer, 50 amongst 100 sustains to live for 5 years or more.