How is the diagnosis of gall bladder cancer made?
The diagnosis of gall bladder is generally best made on imaging – CT scan / MRI scans and on pathology examination of the surgically removed gall bladder specimen Imaging studies help identify the precise stage of the disease and the extent and volume of the disease/ cancer, which decides in planning the treatment What does stage mean?

Once a diagnosis of cancer has been made, the cancer will be given a stage, such as:

There are 5 stages for gallbladder cancer:

Gallbladder cancer treatment depends on many things including the tumour type, its location, stage and grade. The following are a few treatment options for gallbladder cancer that can also be used separately or together with one another:

Surgery: Surgery involves making a cut in the abdomen and removing the gallbladder. This surgery is called a cholecystectomy. Depending on the cancer’s stage, an extended cholecystectomy may be done, where the gallbladder, nearby lymph nodes and some parts of surrounding organs may be removed. Surgery is generally helpful in the earlier stages of the cancer.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill or control cancer cells and is the most common standard therapy in advanced stages of the cancer. It is most often used when surgery cannot be offered because the cancer has spread outside of the gallbladder. It is also considered in some earlier stage cases after surgery.

Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is the use of high energy x-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. It can be used for treatment or to control the symptoms and pain of advanced cancer. Sometimes doctors give radiation to shrink a tumour so it is easier to remove during surgery.

Supportive and Palliative therapy: Palliative therapy is treatment given to help control or reduce symptoms caused by advanced cancer. The focus of care is on quality of life and comfort and can be offered by a team at the hospital or at home. Other supportive care considered include procedures to relieve blockage in the gallbladder, bile duct or bowel to ease pain and prevent jaundice or bowel blockage. This can be done by either placing a tube or, sometimes, a biliary or bowel bypass operation. Other supports can include removing fluid from the abdomen with a needle (paracentesis) or pain medicines to relieve discomfort.

Surgery is the corner stone of treatment of gall bladder cancer and the only defined definitive treatment with a potential for cure.

Adequate radical surgery for gall bladder cancer, involves, either simple removal of the gall bladder (for very early stages of the tumour – in select early cases) or an adequate radical cancer operation involving