Can gallstones turn into cancer?

Written by Zhang Tao
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Updated on September 14, 2024
00:00
00:00

If gallstones are not treated promptly, the probability of developing gallbladder cancer is higher than in healthy individuals. Long-term untreated gallstones can irritate the gallbladder, leading to decreased gallbladder function and causing cancerous changes. Chronic thickening of the gallbladder wall can occur from prolonged episodes of gallstones, worsening inflammation, which can lead to more severe inflammation of the gallbladder mucosa and result in cancerous changes. In fact, gallstones are an important factor in the development of gallbladder cancer. However, not all patients with gallbladder cancer have gallstones, but clinically, about 70% of patients with gallbladder cancer have concurrent gallstones. Therefore, even if patients with gallstones do not exhibit symptoms, they should be particularly cautious and undergo regular physical examinations annually to detect problems early and treat them promptly.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
1min 1sec home-news-image

How should gallstones be treated?

For the treatment of gallstones, the decision mainly depends on whether there are symptoms and the size of the stones. Patients with small gallstones generally do not exhibit clear symptoms and are often discovered only through ultrasound. They do not require special treatment; regular follow-up ultrasounds to dynamically observe any changes in size are sufficient. In daily diet, it is advised to avoid food high in cholesterol and fats, and to maintain a light diet, which can better control the condition. Patients with large gallstones often experience recurrent upper right abdominal pain and discomfort, which affects their quality of life. Treatment can include the use of antibiotics to manage infections. Once the inflammation is controlled, the condition can be alleviated, but recurrences are common, necessitating eventual surgical removal of the gallstones to achieve a better treatment outcome. Primarily, complete removal of the gallbladder through surgery can potentially cure the condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Tao
Hepatobiliary Surgery
57sec home-news-image

Can gallstones turn into cancer?

If gallstones are not treated promptly, the probability of developing gallbladder cancer is higher than in healthy individuals. Long-term untreated gallstones can irritate the gallbladder, leading to decreased gallbladder function and causing cancerous changes. Chronic thickening of the gallbladder wall can occur from prolonged episodes of gallstones, worsening inflammation, which can lead to more severe inflammation of the gallbladder mucosa and result in cancerous changes. In fact, gallstones are an important factor in the development of gallbladder cancer. However, not all patients with gallbladder cancer have gallstones, but clinically, about 70% of patients with gallbladder cancer have concurrent gallstones. Therefore, even if patients with gallstones do not exhibit symptoms, they should be particularly cautious and undergo regular physical examinations annually to detect problems early and treat them promptly.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
47sec home-news-image

Can I eat before a gallbladder stone examination?

Before checking for gallstones, one should not eat, as the main methods of examination are through color ultrasound and CT scans, which can better lead to a diagnosis. Both color ultrasound and CT scans require fasting because eating can cause the stomach to fill, potentially resulting in artifacts that hinder the observation of the condition. Therefore, patients with gallstones need to fast before the examination. The approach to treatment depends on the presence of symptoms and the size of the stones. For large gallstones that cause recurrent episodes, early surgical treatment should be considered. Only by surgically removing the gallbladder can a definitive cure be achieved, which can significantly improve the prognosis for the patient.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Tao
Hepatobiliary Surgery
58sec home-news-image

Gallbladder stones incidence rate in men and women

Understanding the gender differences in the prevalence of various diseases has important practical significance for the occurrence, development, and prevention of diseases. Research in this area has gradually gained attention from health prevention workers and provides a scientific basis for health prevention efforts. Various clinical studies indicate that the prevalence of gallstones is significantly higher in women than in men, with an incidence ratio of about 3:1 in the affected population. With economic development, people's lifestyles and dietary structures have undergone tremendous changes, leading to an increasing trend in the incidence of gallstones. In China, approximately 8%-11% of patients suffer from gallstones, predominantly obese women around forty years old, often referred to by the three Fs: fat, forty, female.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
45sec home-news-image

What should I do if gallstones cause my complexion to turn yellow?

If a patient with gallstones presents with yellowing of the skin, jaundice has occurred. When jaundice appears, it is often a secondary obstructive jaundice. In such cases, the patient will display symptoms such as lighter stool color, darker urine color, and yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes due to jaundice. Therefore, at this point, the only treatment for the patient is surgery, which typically involves laparoscopic cholecystectomy. By removing the gallbladder, a definitive cure can often be achieved. In severe cases, some cholesterol-lowering medications may be used for symptomatic treatment, but generally, symptoms can be alleviated after surgical removal.