Gallbladder Cancer - Symptoms and Related Information

What Are the Early Symptoms of Gallbladder Cancer?

Gallbladder cancer is not very common, but it is a serious illness. It starts in the gallbladder, which is a small organ that aids with digestion. Many people do not realise that they have gallbladder cancer until it has reached the last stage. It is because this type of cancer does not necessarily show any symptoms at first. It makes early detection very difficult.

Read on to learn more about symptoms, risk factors and other important information about gallbladder cancer.

What is Gallbladder Cancer?

When an individual has gallbladder cancer, their abnormal cells grow out of control in the gallbladder. These cells cluster to form a tumour. In most cases, the tumour spreads to the rest of the body. It is known as metastasis. There are a lot of different types of gallbladder cancer. However, the most common type that affects the majority of people is adenocarcinoma. This starts in the gland-like cells, which line the gallbladder. The lesser-known types of gallbladder cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma. Symptoms of Gallbladder Cancer

In its early stages, there may not be any gallbladder cancer symptoms. This is one of the reasons it is found at a very late stage. Even when the symptoms appear, they can be similar to other less severe conditions like stomach bugs or gallstones.

Here is a list of such symptoms that indicate a gallbladder cancer:

Pain in the Abdomen

It is one of the most common symptoms of gallbladder cancer. A pain in the upper right side of the abdomen occurs in the location of the gallbladder. Such pain may also feel sharp or dull. This form of pain can often be misunderstood as stomach cramps or indigestion, but it is not so.

Jaundice

Jaundice refers to a yellow colouring of the skin and the whites of the eyes. It happens when the bile duct gets blocked. It stops the bile from draining properly. The bile builds up in the blood and causes the yellow colour. This is a serious sign and needs to be checked by a doctor quickly.

Nausea and Vomiting

When the digestive system is affected, a person can feel sick or even vomit. This also happens due to the body reacting to cancer or a blocked bile duct. These symptoms are very common in a lot of conditions, and they are not linked to cancer at first.

Loss of Appetite

There are many people with such symptoms of gallbladder cancer who do not feel like eating. This can happen without any obvious reason. As a result of this, they might lose weight excessively without even trying.

Unexplained Weight Loss

If someone is losing weight without changing their exercise or diet, it can be a sign that something is wrong. This kind of weight loss happens due to gallbladder cancer, or due to the person not eating enough, or due to other symptoms like nausea or pain.

Fever

There are people with gallbladder cancer who develop a fever. This can be due to an infection in the gallbladder or the response of the body to the cancer. The fever can be mild or even come and go. It can also be accompanied by sweating or chills.

Bloating or Swelling in the Abdomen

As the cancer grows and spreads, it causes the abdomen to swell. This is due to a fluid buildup or in size of the tumour. The stomach also feels full or tight, and the clothes feel tighter around the waist.

Changes in Stool and Urine Colour

There are also visible changes in the stool and urine colour of a person. For example, there are people who notice dark urine colour and the stools also become clay or pale coloured. This happens when the bile does not flow normally into the digestive system. It is linked to a blocked bile duct.

Weakness and Fatigue

Feeling weak and tired is also common with most forms of cancer, including gallbladder cancer. This is due to the body using extra energy to fight against the disease or from poor nutrition when a person is not eating well.

Stages of Gallbladder Cancer

There are different stages of gallbladder cancer, ranging from the earliest to the most advanced. The stages of gallbladder cancer depend on the size and location of the tumour. It also depends on the extent to which it has spread. 

Here is an overview of the different stages of gallbladder cancer:

Stage I

In this stage, the cancer is confined to the gallbladder.

Stage II

This next stage of cancer grows into the gallbladder's outer layers.

Stage III

Stage III of gallbladder cancer spreads to all of the nearby organs like the small intestine, stomach and liver. The cancer in this stage can also spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage IV

This is the most advanced stage of gallbladder cancer. It includes large tumours, which involve several nearby tumours and organs of any size which spread to distant areas of the body. 

Causes and Risk Factors of Gallbladder Cancer

There are several factors which lead to an increased risk of gallbladder cancer. 

Here are a few of them:

Gallstones

Many people with gallbladder cancer also have a presence of gallstones in their bodies. They are small stones from bile that form in the gallbladder. They can cause prolonged irritation.

Chronic Gallbladder Infection

A long-term infection in the gallbladder damages the lining and increases a person's risk of cancer.

Porcelain Gallbladder

This is a condition in which the wall of the gallbladder becomes hard and covered with calcium.

Age and Sex

Factors like age and sex also play a role in the increased risk of gallbladder cancer. For example, older people and women are more than likely to develop this particular type of cancer.

Obesity

People who are obese have an increased risk of getting gallbladder cancer.

Family History

Having a history of gallbladder cancer in the family also increases the chances of being affected by it.

Certain Infections

Infections like Salmonella play a major role in a few cases.

Final Words

An early gallbladder cancer treatment can help effectively cure this condition. Treatment can help with either lowering symptoms or prolonging an affected person's life by completely curing it. While there is no guaranteed way of preventing gallbladder cancer, by adopting a healthy lifestyle and managing all known risk factors, one can significantly reduce their risk.