Treatment Information – Gallbladder Cancer
Author: Jessie Hamilton
After you find and classify cancer of gallbladder, your cancer care team will discuss treatment options with you. It is important to take time to think about your options. When choosing a treatment plan, factors to be considered include the type and stage of cancer, side effects of treatment, your general health, and the probability of curing the disease, extend life or relieve symptoms.
If time permits, it is often a good idea to seek a second opinion, especially for a rare cancer such as that of the gallbladder. A second opinion can provide more information and can help you feel more comfortable with the treatment plan chosen.
Most doctors agree that surgery offers the only real chance to heal people with gallbladder cancer. However, there are differences of opinion about how progress can be gallbladder cancer and still be curable. Therefore, it is especially important for people with gallbladder cancer get a second opinion when considering treatment options. Find a physician experienced in treating this disease may also offer other benefits. Most studies find that more extensive surgery tend to result in higher survival rates, but such operations are more often at major cancer centers, and may not be available in each community.
In general, the spread of cancer outside the gallbladder does not always incurable by surgery unless the cancer has spread to distant areas or major blood vessels. If, for example, the cancer has invaded the liver, but only one area and not too deep, you can remove all the cancer surgically. If the cancer has spread to both sides of the liver, the lining of the abdominal cavity, to organs located further away from the gallbladder to the liver, or surrounding a major blood vein, surgery may not be able to remove it all.