Poor prognosis (prognosis after treatment) gallbladder/biliary tract cancer, 7452 cases per year
How many people will pay attention to my gall bladder? When the gallbladder ages, it suffers from various diseases. Gallstones and cancer can also occur. It is cancer of the gallbladder (gallbladder) and the biliary tract (cholesterol tract). Gallbladder and biliary tract cancer is hidden behind stomach cancer and colorectal cancer, but the number of patients is so high that it is one of the top 10 cancers in Korea . You need to be alert again to your gallbladder health.
◆ A mid-life health crisis… He also added Gallstone disease
Cholelithiasis is a disease where the fluid (cholesterol) in the gall bladder hardens like a stone, causing abdominal pain and nausea. In particular, gallstones are twice as common in women as in men. It increases rapidly after the age of 40, and excessive secretion of estrogen (female hormone) due to pregnancy, hormonal imbalance due to hormone replacement therapy, and birth control pills increase cholesterol in the bile and cause cholelithiasis. Genetics, hypertension-obesity are also risk factors.
◆ Gallstones larger than 3cm, cancer risk… 3440 new female cancer patients every year
In the case of some gallbladders and gallstones, the risk of gallbladder cancer increases if they harden into the gallbladder wall. Long-term gallstones larger than 3 cm increase the risk of cancer. Published in December 2022 According to data from the Central Cancer Registration Headquarters, gallbladder and cholangioma occurred in 7452 cases, ranking 9th among all cancers. There are as many female patients (3440 cases) as male (4012 cases). The relative 5-year survival rate is 29.0%, and the prognosis (prognosis after treatment) is so bad that there is a large difference from gastric cancer (78.0%).
◆ Gallbladder cancer/ recently discovered gallbladder cancer… If pain or jaundice appears, if it is quite advanced
As there are no symptoms in the early stages of cancer, early detection is very difficult. It may only be abdominal pain or abnormalities in liver function tests. I thought it was cholelithiasis, and after removing the gallbladder, there are sometimes cases of cancer. There is an increasing number of incidental findings of early gallbladder cancer during abdominal ultrasound examinations during health examinations (data from the National Cancer Information Centre). Common symptoms may include weight loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, epigastric or right pituitary pain, and jaundice. At this time, the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow, brown urine and greyish white stools, and itching appears on the skin.
◆ What are the risk factors for gallbladder and bile duct cancer? Fresh water fish, hepatitis, gallstones, etc.
Gallbladder cancer is known to be complexly related to environmental factors and genetics. 1) Live worms (Gandystoma) can cause bile duct cancer when parasitized in the human bile duct. Eating freshwater sashimi can infect the liver, so freshwater fish must be cooked and eaten, and freshwater fish knives and cutting boards must be washed in hot water. 2) If you get hepatitis, the risk of gallbladder and bile duct cancer increases, so people who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B must do so. 3) If you have gallstones (especially more than 3cm), you are at high risk of gallbladder cancer, so you should consult your doctor.
◆ Traditional vegetarian-focused home-cooked meals… organ meats – cut back on meat
To prevent gallbladder and bile duct cancer, you must first prevent cholelithiasis. Reduce cholesterol and triglyceride viscera-rich and meat, and recommend traditional home cooking meals mainly vegetarian. It is useful to eat vegetables and green vegetables that are high in fiber evenly and in appropriate amounts. Bile helps digest fats, but too much cholesterol can lead to gallstones. It is good to maintain a healthy weight for your physique through proper diet and exercise management.
