5 common clinical manifestations of gallbladder cancer

There are no specific clinical manifestations in the early stages of gallbladder cancer, or there are only symptoms of chronic cholecystitis, making early diagnosis very difficult. Once persistent upper abdominal pain, masses, jaundice, etc. appear, the disease has reached an advanced stage and various examinations also show abnormalities.

symptom

(1) Right upper abdominal pain: This symptom accounts for 84% of cases. Since gallbladder cancer often coexists with gallbladder stones and inflammation, the nature of the pain is similar to that of calculous cholecystitis. It starts with discomfort in the right upper abdomen, followed by persistent dull pain or pain, sometimes accompanied by paroxysmal severe pain that radiates to the right shoulder.

(2) Gastrointestinal symptoms: The vast majority (90%) experience indigestion, aversion to greasy food, belching, and decreased appetite. This is due to the reduced secretory function of the gallbladder, which is unable to digest fat.

(3) Jaundice: Jaundice often occurs in the late stage of the disease, accounting for 36.5%. It is mostly caused by cancer tissue invading the bile duct and causing malignant obstruction. Yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, accompanied by difficult-to-treat skin itching

(4) Fever: 25.9% of patients had fever. Most patients became emaciated, weak, and even cachectic.

(5) Mass in the right upper abdomen: When the disease develops to the late stage, a mass appears in the right upper abdomen or upper abdomen, accounting for 54.5%. One reason is that the tumor grows rapidly, blocking the bile duct and causing the gallbladder to swell; the other reason is that it invades the duodenum and causes obstruction symptoms; in addition, if it invades the liver, stomach, pancreas, etc., masses may also appear in the corresponding parts.