Treatment for gallbladder or bile duct cancer may include surgery to remove the gallbladder, as well as radiation and chemotherapy sessions, which can be directed when the cancer has metastasized, meaning the disease has spread to other areas of the body.
Treatment should be guided by an oncologist and usually varies depending on the type, degree of tumor development and patient symptoms.
- Not all types of gallbladder cancer are curable and.
- In the most severe cases.
- Only palliative care can be used to keep the patient comfortable and symptom-free.
Surgical treatment for gallbladder cancer is the main type of treatment used and is usually performed to remove as many tumors as possible, and can be divided into 3 main types:
However, surgery does not always manage to completely remove the tumor from the gallbladder and, therefore, a small tunnel may be needed inside the bile ducts to allow bile to pass through and relieve the patient’s symptoms. after surgery on: When indicated and how recovery occurs after surgery to remove the gallbladder.
In these cases, your doctor may also recommend radiation therapy or chemotherapy to try to remove the remaining cancer cells.
Radiation therapy for gallbladder cancer is usually used in more advanced cases of the problem, where it is not possible to remove the tumor only with surgery, to relieve the patient’s symptoms, such as pain, persistent nausea and loss of appetite, for example. .
Radiation therapy is usually done through a machine, placed near the affected site, which emits radiation capable of destroying tumor cells, to achieve the desired result it may be necessary to perform several sessions of radiation therapy and, in some cases, healing can only be obtained by radiation therapy.
Learn about the main side effects of this type of treatment for: Side effects of radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy for gallbladder cancer may be done before surgery, to reduce the number of cancer cells and facilitate removal of the tumor, or after surgery, to remove the remaining tumor cells.
Chemotherapy is usually done by injecting drugs that can prevent the multiplication of cancer cells, such as cisplatin or gemcitabine, directly into the vein, however, in some cases it can also be done with the ingestion of pills, with fewer side effects.
Refer to the side effects of chemotherapy for: Chemotherapy Side Effects.
Signs of improvement in gallbladder cancer appear shortly after surgery or early cycles of radiation therapy or chemotherapy and include abdominal pain relief, decreased nausea, and increased appetite.
Signs of gallbladder cancer aggravation are more common in the later stages of the disease and include increased pain, rapid weight loss, excessive thinness, constant fatigue, apathy or mental confusion, for example.