What gallbladder cancer?

Gallbladder Cancer

Introduction

Cancer is among the diseases which have been on a rise in the recent years. It is a disease which has been proven to be able to take many different forms and affecting particular body organs. Among the commonly known types of cancer are the likes of cervical cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer etc. Apart from those popular types of cancer, there are less common types of cancer, the category in which gallbladder cancer lies.

What is gallbladder cancer?

This is a type of cancer, which originates or attacks the gallbladder. The malignant cells of this type of cancer forms in the tissues of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a sac-like organ which lies underneath liver, and is responsible for storing the bile. The type of gallbladder cancer is identified depending with the cell affected. This type of cancer is very rare, and according to Cancer research UK, approximately 800 people are diagnosed with this condition yearly. This is a very small percentage of the world population. According to statistics in United States, the survival rates from this cancer can be estimated at 70% with 3630 of the 10650 cases reported as diagnosed with this cancer resulting to death.

What gallbladder cancer?

Although many researches have been done, the exact cause of gallbladder cancer has not been identified. Nevertheless, the risk factors have been identified, which exposes one to high chances of falling a victim of gallbladder cancer. Such factors include:-

· Being a female – it gallbladder cancer is more common in females than in males. It has been estimated that, 1 out of 5 people diagnosed with gallbladder cancer is a male, while the rest are females.

· Obesity – people who are obese have been found to possess higher chances of getting gallbladder cancer.

· Age – gallbladder cancer has been found to be common in aged people than in young people. Most of the reported cases of people with gallbladder cancer are aged above 70, according to UK cancer research Centre.

· Gallstones – people with gallstones have higher chances of contracting gallbladder cancer.

· Genetic – people from a family which has a history of gallbladder cancer have high chances of getting the cancer.

Which are the symptoms of gallbladder cancer?

This type of cancer mostly causes no symptoms, and they are likely to be diagnosed unexpectedly, when a person goes for a surgery for other reason like gallstone. According to cancer research UK, 1 out of every 5 people has discovered his/her cancer this way. Some of the likely symptoms of gallbladder cancer include:-

· Abdominal pain. This is especially the case, if the gallbladder cancer resulted from gallstones.

· A person feels sick

· A person having a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. This is one of the most common and specific indicators of gallbladder cancer.

· Another likely symptom of gallbladder cancer is the swelling of the stomach

· Loss of appetite may also result

· Unexplained loss in weight

· The person may also experience fever

· Nausea and vomiting may also be observed in the person

· Bloating may also be another symptom of gallbladder cancer

· Another common symptom in people with gallbladder cancer is the lumps in the abdomen

It is important to note that, some of these symptoms can be caused by a different condition, and therefore before a conclusion is drawn on the cause of the symptom a close look to whether the person scores under the other symptoms of gallbladder cancer is vital. In case it becomes completely difficult to draw a conclusion, visit your physician for diagnosis.