The gallbladder is located in the right side of the abdomen beneath the liver and stores bile produced by the liver. Gallbladder cancer develops when cells in the gallbladder wall grow or multiply abnormally for various reasons. Although rare, gallbladder cancer can become life-threatening in advanced stages.
What are the causes of bile duct cancer?
Causes of gallbladder cancer include smoking, obesity, family history, and certain hereditary diseases. It is also more common in women than in men, and being over 50 years old increases the risk.
What are the symptoms of bile duct cancer?
In the early stages, the disease does not cause many symptoms; however, in advanced stages, patients may experience sharp and gradually increasing pain in the right side of the abdomen, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, swelling in the abdominal area, fatigue and weakness, and jaundice.
How is gallbladder cancer diagnosed?
Because the symptoms caused by gallbladder cancer can be confused with other diseases, diagnosis may sometimes be delayed. Therefore, it is important not to ignore the symptoms. Diagnosis is evaluated using physical examination results, urine and blood tests, and liver function tests. Additionally, imaging methods such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to examine the gallbladder. A biopsy is performed for a definitive diagnosis of gallbladder cancer.
How is bile duct cancer treated?
The treatment of gallbladder cancer may vary depending on the patient’s condition and the stage of the disease; however, commonly used treatment methods include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.