Gallbladder And Bile Duct Cancer

What Is It?

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ situated under the liver in the upper abdomen. It stores bile, a fluid produced by the liver that helps to digest fat. The gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine during digestion through the bile duct, a thin tube that connects the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

According to the American Cancer Society, 80% of gallbladder cancers and 95% of bile duct cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are cancers of cells that line the glands and ducts. Bile duct adenocarcinoma (also known as cholangiocarcinoma) forms from the mucus glands that line the ducts and can develop in any part of the bile duct.

Cancers of the gallbladder and bile ducts are rare. The American Cancer Society estimates that each year approximately 3,000 people in the United States develop bile duct cancer, and 6,000 to 7,000 new cases of gallbladder cancer are diagnosed. Gallbladder cancer is more common in women than in men, and people with gallstones are at a slightly higher risk of developing gallbladder or bile duct cancer. Bile duct cancers are more common in Asia. They also have been associated with infections with the liver fluke parasite, sclerosing cholangitis, ulcerative colitis and cirrhosis.

Symptoms

In their early stages, gallbladder and bile duct cancers often do not cause any symptoms. Many of these cancers are found when the gallbladder is removed as a treatment for gallstones. Early tumors cannot be seen or felt during a routine physical examination, and there are no screening tests for these cancers.

Gallbladder and bile duct cancer can cause the following symptoms:

• Jaundice - Jaundice is the most common symptom of bile duct cancer, and nearly half of all people with gallbladder cancer have jaundice when they are diagnosed. Jaundice gives the skin and the whites of the eyes a yellow tint. It is caused when the liver cannot get rid of bile, causing levels of bilirubin (a dark-yellow chemical in bile) to rise in the bloodstream. Bile and bilirubin can also cause itching. Although many people with gallbladder and bile duct cancers have jaundice, the most frequent cause of jaundice is hepatitis, not cancer.

• Abdominal pain - Pain related to the gallbladder often occurs in the upper right part of the abdomen.

• Nausea, vomiting or both

• General symptoms - These can include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever and abdominal swelling.