Can gallbladder cancer with liver metastasis be treated?

Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Updated on September 22, 2024
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If a gallbladder cancer patient experiences liver metastasis, aggressive treatment can be applied, but it can only be symptomatic treatment and cannot achieve a cure.

Gallbladder cancer is a type of malignancy with a high degree of malignancy, prone to metastasis to other parts, and with very poor treatment outcomes. If liver metastasis occurs, the condition is severe and has reached the middle to late stages. Treatment cannot involve surgical removal at this time. Instead, active management should be employed to improve quality of life and better control the disease, though it cannot be cured. When gallbladder cancer patients experience liver metastasis, symptoms may include pain in the liver area, abnormal liver function, hypoalbuminemia, ascites, and other clinical symptoms. At this time, symptomatic treatment should be actively pursued to better maintain the patient's life and improve quality of life.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Is targeted therapy or immunotherapy better for gallbladder cancer?

The treatment of gallbladder cancer cannot be judged as whether targeted therapy or immunotherapy is better, but should be analyzed based on the specific condition of the disease. For early-stage gallbladder cancer patients, if no metastasis has occurred, the best treatment at this time is primarily surgical removal. Early-stage surgical removal can achieve a cure, and regular postoperative ultrasound checks to monitor the disease progression are sufficient. However, if the gallbladder cancer progresses to a late stage, there might be metastasis to other parts of the body, corresponding symptoms appear, and the disease progresses rapidly. The opportunity for surgical treatment may have been missed, and only systemic chemotherapy or other comprehensive treatments are available to alleviate symptoms.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Do patients with gallbladder cancer need to have separate meals from their family members?

Patients with gallbladder cancer do not need to eat separately from their family. Although it is necessary for gallbladder cancer patients to avoid spicy and stimulating foods to reduce inflammatory irritation and better control the progression of the disease, this is especially true for symptomatic gallstone patients, who can control the disease progression through diet without special treatment, simply needing regular follow-up with ultrasonography to monitor changes in size. If significant symptoms occur, surgery is needed to achieve a cure, so treatment is relatively complex and focuses on usual dietary habits. Additionally, patients with gallbladder cancer should consume foods that are rich in protein to supplement the energy needed by the body.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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The main manifestations of gallbladder cancer on MRI

Gallbladder cancer is more common in females and is generally believed to be associated with chronic stimulation from chronic cholecystitis and gallstones. On MRI, gallbladder cancer can be categorized into several types based on case classification and growth patterns: first, the infiltrative type; second, the nodular type; third, the mass-forming type; and fourth, the obstructive type. Regardless of the pathological type of gallbladder cancer, the tumor tissue appears as a heterogeneous low signal on T1 and a heterogeneous high signal on T2. After enhancement, the tumor shows heterogeneous enhancement. If there is invasion into the liver, the boundary with liver tissue is unclear. MRI has significant advantages in assessing invasion of adjacent organs and metastasis, and can provide great value for surgery or treatment planning.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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Can gallbladder cancer be detected by ultrasound?

Gallbladder cancer can also be detected by ultrasound, which is the preferred imaging method for diagnosing hepatobiliary diseases. Ultrasound can detect space-occupying lesions in hepatobiliary diseases early on. It is sensitive enough to detect lesions as small as one centimeter, or even a few millimeters. In the case of space-occupying lesions of the gallbladder, particularly gallbladder cancer, there are no particularly obvious signals on ultrasound. Ultrasound of the gallbladder is merely used as a screening tool, not as a definitive diagnostic method. If gallbladder cancer is suspected, further investigations such as MRI or enhanced CT are generally required, but the final diagnosis still relies on pathology.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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How long does it take for gallstones to develop into gallbladder cancer?

Gallstones do not necessarily develop into gallbladder cancer. For patients with gallstones, they mainly experience discomfort and pain in the upper right abdomen, especially after overeating or drinking alcohol, when the symptoms suddenly appear. Gallstones do not necessarily cause gallbladder cancer. If symptoms occur, surgery should be performed at this time. Only through surgery can a cure for gallbladder cancer be achieved. It is a common malignant tumor of the gallbladder, mainly caused by repeated inflammatory stimuli or genetic factors. At this time, surgery should be performed to better improve the prognosis of the patient. Early stage gallbladder cancer can be completely removed surgically to achieve a cure.