The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ on the right side of your belly, just under the liver. The liver makes a bile fluid that helps you digest food; the gallbladder stores this bile. Gallbladder cancer is rare. If early detection occurs, the chance for cure is good. 

Catching this cancer early is very important for successful treatment. However, it can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms are often mild, and the gallbladder is hidden deep in the body. Now, a question arises: “Is gallbladder cancer diagnosis possible?” Our answer is yes! Doctors follow the following steps to identify gallbladder cancer.

Symptoms of Gallbladder Cancer

Before moving to diagnosis, you must know its symptoms. Remember, gallbladder cancer symptoms are not clear, but some signs are associated with it;

• Upper right belly pain mostly.

• Belly bloating.

• Something you can feel through the skin.

• Weight loss without trying.

• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. 

Steps of Gallbladder Cancer Diagnosis

According to experts, the gallbladder cancer diagnosis consists of the following steps;

Step 1: Medical History and Physical Examination

The first step in the gallbladder cancer diagnosis is knowing the complete medical history review and physical examination of the patient. The doctor will inquire about the symptoms. Besides, they will also check risk factors, such as age, gender, family history, and if you have had gallstones or some other problems with your gallbladder. So, this step gives your healthcare provider a chance to know you deeply.

Step 2: Blood Tests

When gallbladder cancer is suspected, a doctor will perform blood tests to check your liver function and detect tumour markers. The most common tests are given below;

Liver Function Tests (LFTs)

These show how well your liver works and if bile duct blockage or liver involvement. Bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels above normal may indicate problems with the gallbladder.

Tumor Markers

Gallbladder cancer often increases substances such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 19-9. Because high readings are not definitive, they can bolster a cancer diagnosis if other signs exist.

Step 3: Imaging Studies

Imaging techniques provide detailed pictures of the gallbladder, including surrounding structures, to identify abnormalities. Common imaging studies are;

Ultrasound

It is usually the first imaging test done, using sound waves to produce gallbladder images. It can show masses, gallstones, or signs of wall thickening, such as cancer.

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)

Endoscopy and ultrasound collectively give high-quality images of the gallbladder and surrounding organs. Endoscopy involves the insertion of an ultrasound device and a flexible tube through the mouth into the digestive tract, which allows for close examination to obtain tissue samples.

Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

CT scans provide cross-sectional images of your body or organ, detecting tumours and assessing their size. It also determines if cancer has spread to adjacent organs or lymph nodes.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI can see details of soft tissues and is especially good at showing how far gallbladder cancer has spread. Bile ducts are visible in a more specialised form, Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), to check for blockages or abnormalities.

Step 4: Cholangiography

Imaging of the bile ducts to find blockages or narrowing due to tumours is known as cholangiography. It includes,

Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)

It is an MRI technique that does not require contrast dye to visualise the bile and pancreatic ducts in a non-invasive manner.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

At the gastroenterology clinic, an endoscope passes through the mouth down into the small intestine, where dye injects into the bile ducts, which appear on X-rays. ERCP can sample tissue and place stents to relieve bile duct blockage.

Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography (PTC)

X-rays show dye injected directly into the bile ducts via a needle inserted through the skin and into the liver. This method is very useful when ERCP is not feasible.

Step 5: Biopsy

A biopsy consists of removing a very small tissue sample taken from the gallbladder or adjacent areas to examine under the microscope for cancer cells. Biopsies are often possible during imaging procedures or surgeries.

Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA)

It allows a thin needle to pass through the skin to extract tissue from a suspected area that ultrasound or CT imaging shows. In this way, FNA confirms a cancer diagnosis.

Surgical Biopsy

Laparoscopy procedures allow surgeons to see the gallbladder and obtain tissue samples directly. They involve inserting a camera and instruments through small incisions in the abdomen for examination and biopsy.

Step 6: Staging

After the confirmation of gallbladder cancer, determining its stage is necessary for proper treatment. Staging helps to know the tumour's size, depth of invasion, and other important information. The stages of this cancer are as follows;

Stage 0

Cancer cells are formed only in the innermost lining of the gallbladder. It is the earliest, and if detected in time,tage; the disease is highly treatable with su time.

Stage I

The tumour invades the muscle layer of the gallbladder wall but has not spread to lymph nodes or other organs. It can be removed with surgery.

Stage II

Cancer has spread to the connective tissue layer of the gallbladder wall or through the outer layer but has not reached nearby organs or lymph nodes.

Stage III

At this stage, cancer spreads to nearby organs, such as the liver, stomach, small intestine, or nearby lymph nodes.

Stage IV

Cancer has invaded the main blood vessels or multiple nearby organs but may or may not involve distant lymph nodes. 

We hope that after reading our blog post, you will have a clear idea of gallbladder cancer.

Final Thoughts!

Although gallbladder cancer is uncommon, knowing its symptoms and risks can help you quickly act if you notice something unusual. Regular health check-ups and taking care of gallbladder issues, like gallstones, can also help lower the risk.

If you or someone you know is dealing with gallbladder cancer, it is important to talk to experts who can create a treatment plan that is right for you. All the credit goes to the new medical technology and treatments; there is hope for better results, even in tough situations.