11 Warning Signs Of Gallbladder Cancer You Should Not Ignore!

The human gallbladder is a small structure resembling a bag and lying beneath your liver within the torso. This organ contains and is capable of transporting bile to your intestines. The bile is a waste substance of your metabolism, but it is also useful and it helps digesting fatty acids from the food you eat. Even though humans can survive without a gallbladder, not having this organ would give you fat absorption problems.

Most gallbladder patients can cope with discomfort and may be able to live a relatively and normal life. However, some other individuals may be experiencing severe issues without even noticing. One of those problems is Gallbladder Cancer. This disease is rare or little frequent to show up and diagnose, and it is usually confirmed at later stages. Many of the symptoms of this type of cancer are frequently confused with some other gallbladder ailments. That is why we hope this list helps you to checkmark this disease on time.

Jaundice

This symptom is commonly related to a liver issue, and it is common in gallbladder problems. Severe jaundice may give patient the typical yellowish color to the skin and whites of the eyes with severe itching, but it may also include darkened urine and pale coloured stools.

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Jaundice is caused by increased bile salts in the blood. Bile build up occurs after the cancer blocks the common bile duct. Finally, these bile salts storage in the blood and reaches the tissues while flowing through the bloodstream. The bad news is that this symptom is a sign of a later stage of cancer, when it is large enough to cause an alteration to the common bile duct.

Abdominal pain

This symptom tends to overlap with the classic right upper quadrant pain of gallstone disease; but it is more diffuse and persistent. Patients describe it as an aching, dragging feeling, especially on the right side. As cancer blocks the bile duct, patients will have a sharper pain.

It is possible to find some relief with different painkillers, like paracetamol. These type of drugs can be useful for rather mild pain. But as the disease advances taking a mild sedative might not be enough. So stronger painkillers can be prescribed, such as codeine or dihydrocodeine (DF118), along with an anti-inflammatory drug (ibuprofen or diclofenac). Keep in mind that your doctor is the one who should make changes to your medication, and you might need more than just over-the-counter drugs. Thus, ask your doctor before starting any type of new medication.

Nausea and vomiting

These are also symptoms shown in the later stages of the disease. The inability of processing its bile causes the patient to experience bilious vomiting. Nausea and vomiting is a common problem in patients with gallbladder issues, but it is also common in other diseases. So, keep watch and report unusual nausea and vomiting, especially when coupled with abdominal pain.

Bloating

That feeling of indigestion is not always from overeating. The sensation comes from the amount of bile salt in the body. Bloating is an early symptom often confused with some other ailments related to the digestive system, such as the Celiac disease. Taking a stool sample or having the patient X-rayed in the abdominal zone can give the GP more insight into the causes of the uneasy feeling. Thus, talk to your doctor if you have a combination of bloating, abdominal pain, and other signs and symptoms. You might need something different than pancreatic enzymes and antacids.

Fever

Gallbladder cancer is a common hepato-biliary disease associated with some other risk factors like chronic infections of the gallbladder. Studies have shown a relationship between mixed bacterial and Salmonella infections in the evolution of cancer gallbladder. So this bacterial degradation of bile along with chronic inflammation have, as a consequence, the appearance of fever as a typical symptom.

As mentioned before, this disease does not usually cause any symptoms in the early stages. It is often diagnosed at a more advanced stage. But, due to the risk factor associated with infections, fever is a symptom that might alert of possible danger if it noticed with some other early signs.

A palpable lump

Up to 47% of cases for Gallbladder cancer are detected “by chance” when patients undergo routine cholecystotomy, for example. This shows how incidental is the pathological finding of it. Being asymptomatic as it is, the most classic physical outcome related to it is a palpable mass or lump. However, it is a sign of advanced disease. Although tumour markers do not help determine its presence, in some studies, they might have prognostic relevance.

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Let us take as an example the Courvoisier sign. It is about the enlargement of the gallbladder due to bile buildup. This makes the gallbladder so big that it is easily seen or felt through the skin. It usually does not cause any pain, though. With this, we are not saying this is a sign for cancer. Courvoisier sign is a common symptom of many gallbladder conditions.

Enlarged lymph nodes

All around the gallbladder and throughout the abdomen there are plenty of lymph nodes. Those small bean-shaped glands are part of the lymphatic system. They help control infection by filtering the lymphatic fluid. They also remove anything not belonging to the body (bacteria or viruses).

But there is a twist: Those nodes are the first place cancer cells visit when they break away from a tumour. Most surgeons remove the nodes during cancer surgery to have them analysed by a pathologist. There are certain lymph nodes a doctor would look at if he is suspecting gallbladder cancer, especially the Virchow’s node and the Sister Mary Joseph’s nodes.

The Virchow’s node is a lymph node located in the area above the left clavicle. It is linked to the lymph vessels in the abdominal cavity. Doctors have a particular nickname for Virchow’s node: “the seat of the devil”. That is due to its apparent association with malignant disease. If a patient finds an enlarged, hard node, there is a strong possibility for the presence of gastric cancer in the abdomen. That indicates, besides, it has spread through the lymph vessels.

The Sister Mary Joseph’s nodes are rather uncommon, and appears when there’s umbilical metastasis. It is pretty impressive that Sister Joseph’s nodule appears as an early symptom of a malignoma (sometimes it is the only one). In most cases, the primary tumour remains occult. There are reports of patients with a few months history of a tender, painful nodule on the umbilicus area. Patients are apparently normal for the rest, but later cytologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder.

Loss of appetite

It is clinically named anorexia, and it can be quite common in many different diseases, both physical and mental. In gallbladder cancer, as well as most types of cancer, it is part of a wasting syndrome making patient lose weight dramatically. It is associated with undernourishment and vitamin deficiencies, and in some cases it becomes quite difficult to treat.

Muscle weakness

At later stages of the illness, patients describe a decrease in the force of proximal muscles. Doctors may detect a global decrease in deep tendon reflexes, and these alterations in the musculoskeletal system lead to various degrees of muscular pain. All of these symptoms are also related to cachexia, a condition that is going to be explained in the next topic due to the relationship between weight loss and muscle strength decrease.

Weight loss

This sign often indicates an advanced disease, and many cancer patients come to the doctor with this basic complaint. According to a 2006 study, there were 6000 to 7000 new cases of GBC reported annually in the United States. Out of them, 38% showed cachexia, which is a condition that causes extreme weight loss. It is a severe complication responsible for around 20 per cent of cancer deaths.

People with cachexia have a mayor unbalance of certain substances in their body that causes the loss of weight, even if they are eating properly. That means that in the presence of cachexia when a person does not feed properly just one day, he or she loses not only fat but muscle mass in a faster way than a healthy individual.

Abdominal swelling

Gallbladder cancer in an advanced stage does not only affect this organ but the surrounding organs as well, especially the liver. Liver metastasis may result in severe problems, including ascites, which is the clinical name to the accumulation of fluids in the abdominal cavity. Abdominal swelling in gallbladder cancer is a complication, and these patients commonly appear in deeply affected patients with severe symptoms. Otherwise, primary liver conditions should be addressed first.

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Accurate diagnosis must be confirmed after a complete checkout. In the field of prevention, researchers have still a long way to go for identifying high-risk genes and environmental toxins. However, even if we don’t have all written about gallbladder cancer, there is much to do in the meantime. Experiencing the symptoms listed above gives you a clear sign that something is going on with your gallbladder, and most ultrasound analysis would give cancer patients a suspicious image that will alert doctors and patients. Thus, if you have any doubt, ask your doctor about your symptoms and follow his instructions to detect this and any other ailment early enough to start a successful treatment plan.