Gallbladder Cancer Treatment

A cancer formed in the tissues of gallbladder is known as Gallbladder Cancer. A gallbladder is nothing but a pear shaped organ which is present on the right side of abdomen and just below the liver. The treatment options for gallbladder cancer depends on the type of stage of the cancer, the patient is in. The team of doctors who will treat your cancer includes a gastroenterologist, a surgeon, a medical oncologist & a radiation oncologist. Following are the treatment options available for gallbladder cancer:

Surgery: Removing the tumor and its surrounding tissues during an operation is what we call a surgery. During this surgery, the lymph nodes near the gallbladder are removed. A laparoscope along with video camera is inserted through ports in the abdomen. There are different types of surgeries which are used in the treatment of gallbladder cancer:

Cholecystectomy: In simple cholecystectomy, a gallbladder is removed. And in the extended cholecystectomy, a gallbladder is removed, an inch of liver tissue next to gallbladder along with all the lymph nodes present in that area.
Radical Gallbladder Resection: In this, gallbladder is removed, a wedge shaped section of the liver, bile duct, a part of ligaments present between liver & intestine, lymph nodes present around the pancreas & blood vessels which are near the gallbladder are removed.
Palliative Surgery: If the tumor could not be removed, surgeries are done to help the patient in getting relief from the symptoms of cancer.
Radiation Therapy: In radiation therapy, x-rays or some other type of radiation are used to remove the cancer cells. The therapies are done when surgeries do not come out as expected or it is used to shrink the tumor if the cancer has spread somewhere else. There are two types of radiation therapies:

External Beam Radiation Therapy: This radiation therapy is done outside the body. A machine is used to send radiation to the cancer.
Internal Radiation Therapy: Here, radioactive substance in the form of needles, seeds or wires are either placed directly or near to the cancer.
It has some side effects even such as fatigue, skin reactions; stomach upset and loose bowel movements.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is nothing but the use of drugs to kill the cancer cells or stop its growth. It is usually done by stopping the cells from dividing. Chemotherapy is either given by mouth or is injected. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles so that your body gets enough time to recover from its side effects. The side effects related to this treatment includes nausea, vomiting, fatigue and hair loss.