How to locate and diagnose gallbladder cancer

How is gallbladder cancer diagnosed?

(I) Early symptoms are extremely atypical and difficult to diagnose. Most patients have clinical manifestations similar to those of chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. The main symptom is right upper abdominal pain, radiating to the right scapula, accompanied by loss of appetite, fatigue, abdominal distension, low fever, nausea and jaundice. For female patients over 40 years old with a history of long-term chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, if the nature of the pain changes from paroxysmal attacks to continuous dull pain in the right upper abdomen, and progressively worsens, a gallbladder mass is palpated locally, progressive jaundice, and significant weight loss occurs, gallbladder cancer should be considered. In the late stage of gallbladder cancer, there may be symptoms such as liver enlargement, ascites, and cachexia.

(ii) Laboratory tests: Liver function tests can understand the liver function and identify the nature of jaundice, which can be obstructive jaundice.

(III) X-ray examination: Cholecystography can show that the gallbladder mucosa is not smooth and the filling defect in the cavity is present. ERCP can find that the bile duct is suddenly interrupted, the filling defect is eccentric, the edge is irregular, or the bile duct stenosis is long.

(IV) Other examinations: B-ultrasound, CT, and laparoscopy all have high diagnostic value.

Differential diagnosis of gallbladder cancer Patients with gallbladder cancer lack specific clinical manifestations. Most are misdiagnosed as cholecystitis or cholelithiasis. When these patients present with symptoms such as right upper abdominal pain, right upper abdominal mass or anemia, their condition is often already in the advanced stage. In recent years, the improvement in diagnostic level mainly relies on the progress of modern imaging and the deepening of understanding of this disease.