Gallbladder And Bile Duct Cancer

When To Call A Professional

You should see your doctor if you have jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), persistent itching of the skin, persistent pain in the abdomen, weight loss without trying or a fever that won't go away. All these symptoms can be related to noncancerous diseases, but you should visit your doctor so that your condition can be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Prognosis

The outlook depends on the person's general health, how far the cancer has spread by the time it is diagnosed, and the type of treatment. Gallbladder and bile duct cancers usually are diagnosed when the disease is advanced and causes symptoms, and, therefore, the survival rate is low. In the earlier stages of gallbladder and bile duct cancer, when resection can be attempted, between 15% and 50% of patients survive five years or more. When the tumor is in a later stage at diagnosis and resection cannot be attempted, fewer than 5% survive five years or more.

Additional Info

American Cancer Society 1599 Clifton Rd., NE Atlanta, GA 30329-4251 Toll-Free: (800) 227-2345 http://www.acscsn.org/

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Building 31 Room 10A03 31 Center Dr., MSC 2580 Bethesda, MD 20892-2580 Phone: (301) 435-3848 Toll-Free: (800) 422-6237 http://www.nci.nih.gov/