Early symptoms and warning signs of gallbladder cancer.

Written by Liu Wu Cai

Hepatobiliary Surgery

Updated on September 01, 2024

00:00

00:00

Patients with early-stage gallbladder cancer generally do not display specific symptoms or obvious precursors. Some patients may experience digestive symptoms such as abdominal bloating, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting, but these are often overlooked. Thus, by the time gallbladder cancer is diagnosed, it is usually at an advanced stage, where the pain becomes significant and is one of the main reasons patients seek medical attention.

Additionally, some patients may experience weight loss and even develop cachexia. Gallbladder cancer is a highly malignant tumor with rapid progression and a tendency to metastasize to other parts of the body, resulting in a very poor prognosis. Therefore, once diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, it is crucial to complete relevant examinations, rule out any contraindications for surgery, and proceed with surgical removal as soon as possible.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Shen Jiang Chao

Radiology

58sec

home-news-image

Gallbladder cancer CT manifestations

Gallbladder cancer commonly occurs in females, and its causes may be related to chronic and long-term irritation from cholecystitis and gallstones. On a CT scan, based on the tumor's pathological classification and growth patterns, it can be divided into the following types: The first type is the infiltrative type, which is characterized by irregular thickening of the gallbladder wall, usually greater than 1 cm, with a rough edge, and significant enhancement is seen after contrast enhancement. The second type is the mass-forming type, which presents as a large soft tissue mass filling the gallbladder, also showing significant enhancement after injection of contrast agent. The third type is the nodular type, which presents as either single or multiple nodules that protrude into the gallbladder cavity, appearing papillary or cauliflower-like. The fourth type is the obstructive type, generally a tumor at the neck of the gallbladder, causing obstruction of the common bile duct.

home-news-image

Written by Liu Wu Cai

Hepatobiliary Surgery

55sec

home-news-image

Can people with gallbladder cancer eat lamb?

Patients with gallbladder cancer can appropriately eat mutton, as mutton is a food high in protein, which can supplement the albumin needed by the human body and better improve the patient's resistance. However, patients with gallbladder cancer may experience discomfort such as pain in the upper right abdomen and may also encounter digestive symptoms like indigestion and bloating. Therefore, it is recommended for gallbladder cancer patients to consume foods that are easy to digest, which can reduce the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and facilitate recovery. Although mutton can be consumed, it should be eaten in small, frequent meals to prevent complications such as intestinal obstruction. Additionally, for the treatment of gallbladder cancer, surgical removal should be used as early as possible to achieve a cure, with earlier detection and treatment likely leading to a relatively better prognosis.

home-news-image

Written by Liu Wu Cai

Hepatobiliary Surgery

47sec

home-news-image

Can gallbladder cancer be detected through blood tests?

Blood tests generally cannot detect gallbladder cancer because there are no specific markers in the blood tests for gallbladder cancer. Although some tumor markers may be significantly elevated, they are not specific. Therefore, diagnosis of gallbladder cancer can be refined through abdominal CT, color ultrasound, and if necessary, puncture tissue for pathological examination to confirm the nature. Once diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, surgery should be performed as soon as possible because gallbladder cancer is a highly malignant, rapidly developing, and poor prognosis malignancy. It is important to pay attention to it and handle it promptly to improve the prognosis and potentially extend the patient’s life.

home-news-image

Written by Li Hu Chen

Imaging Center

41sec

home-news-image

Gallbladder cancer B-ultrasound manifestations

Gallbladder cancer can be diagnosed using ultrasound. On ultrasound, this type of gallbladder cancer can generally be divided into three types. One type is the thick-walled gallbladder cancer, which appears as uneven thickening of the gallbladder wall, resembling thick, non-elastic leather. The second type is the mass-forming type, which is relatively easier to diagnose. It appears as a solid mass taking over the entire gallbladder, often invading the nearby liver, and the normal shape of the gallbladder has disappeared. The third type is the intraluminal type, where on ultrasound, you can see the tumor attached to the gallbladder wall, which is relatively wider and larger.

home-news-image

Written by Liu Wu Cai

Hepatobiliary Surgery

54sec

home-news-image

Will CA199 also be high with gallbladder cancer?

Gallbladder cancer CA199 levels are likely to be elevated. In the case of gallbladder cancer, it is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system. When tumor markers are evaluated, an increase in CA199 can be observed. For patients with gallbladder cancer, it is advisable to undergo surgical removal as early as possible to improve prognosis. Generally, early-stage gallbladder cancer patients do not show specific symptoms, and some may only experience upper abdominal bloating and discomfort, which is often overlooked. Therefore, once diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, it is usually at a mid-to-late stage. At this point, treatment can only be symptomatic and not curative, and the treatment outcome is relatively poor. However, active management is still necessary to prevent the worsening of the condition.