More About Gall Bladder and Bile Duct Cancer  

The American Cancer society estimates 12,350 new cases will be diagnosed for cancer of the gall bladder and bile duct cancer in the United States in the year 2024. Of the 12,350 new cases: 5,900 will be men and 6,450 will be women, and a total of 4<530 deaths are expected with a higher rate of fatalities in women compared to men.

The gall bladder is a small, pear-shaped organ beneath the liver. Gall bladder cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in the gall bladder. When detected early gallbladder cancer is very curable but it is most often detected in the late stages, because the cancer does not cause any specific signs or symptoms. Also, as the gall bladder is a hidden order it is easy for the cancer to go undetected.

Symptoms of Gallbladder cancer

• Abdominal pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen

• Abdominal bloating

• Unintentional weight loss

• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eye

Treatment Options for Gallbladder Cancer

• Surgery to remove the gallbladder and some of the tissue around it.

• Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.

• A clinical trial of radiation therapy with radiosensitizers.

The bile duct is a thin tube, about 4 to 5 inches long, that moves bile (a fluid that digests the fats in food) from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. Bile Duct cancer is a rare kind of cancer. There are 2 different types of bile duct cancer, based on where the cancer is found in the bile duct system. Intrahepatic bile duct cancer forms in bile ducts inside the liver, while Extrahepatic bile duct cancer forms outside the liver.

Symptoms of Bile duct Cancer

• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

• Intensely itchy skin

• White-colored stools

• Fatigue

• Abdominal pain on the right side, just below the ribs

• Unintentional weight loss

• Fever and night sweats

Treatment Options for Bile duct Cancer

• When possible, surgeons remove as much of the cancer as they can.

• Liver transplant is sometimes an option

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation therapy