Poor prognosis (prognosis after treatment) gallbladder/biliary tract cancer, 7452 cases per year
How many people will pay attention to my gallbladder? When the gallbladder gets old, it suffers from various diseases. Gallstones and cancer can also occur. It is cancer of the gallbladder (gallbladder) and 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.
◆ Midlife health crisis… Cholelithiasis also added
Cholelithiasis is a disease in which the liquid (cholesterol) in the gallbladder (gallbladder) hardens like a stone (stones), 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, overweight-obesity are also risk factors.
◆ Gallstones larger than 3cm, cancer risk… 3440 female new cancer patients per year
In the case of some gallbladder and gallstones, the risk of gallbladder cancer increases if they harden to the gallbladder wall. Long-term gallstones larger than 3 cm increase the risk of cancer. Announced in December 2022 According to the data of 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 males (4012 cases). The 5-year relative survival rate is 29.0%, and the prognosis (prognosis after treatment) is so bad that there is a big difference from gastric cancer (78.0%).
◆ Lately discovered gallbladder/biliary cancer… If pain or jaundice appears, if it is quite advanced
Since there are no symptoms in the early stages of cancer, early detection is very difficult. There may be only 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 checkups (data from the National Cancer Information Center). Common symptoms may include weight loss, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, right epigastric or pituitary pain, and jaundice. At this time, the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow, brown urine and grayish white stools, and itching appears on the skin.
◆ What are the risk factors for gallbladder and biliary tract cancer? Freshwater fish, hepatitis, gallstones, etc.
Gallbladder cancer is known to be complexly involved in environmental factors and genetics. 1) Live fluke (Gandystoma) can cause bile duct cancer while parasitizing in the human bile duct. Eating freshwater sashimi can infect liver flukes, so freshwater fish must be cooked and eaten, and knives and cutting boards trimmed with freshwater fish must be washed with 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 larger than 3cm), you are at high risk of gallbladder cancer, so you should consult your doctor.
◆ Vegetarian-oriented traditional home-cooked meals… organ meats – cut down on meat
To prevent gallbladder and bile duct cancer, you must first prevent cholelithiasis. Reduce cholesterol and triglyceride-rich viscera and meat, and recommend traditional home-cooked meals mainly vegetarian. It is helpful to eat vegetables and greens that are high in fiber evenly and in appropriate amounts. Bile aids in the digestion of fats, but too much cholesterol can lead to gallstones. It is good to maintain a healthy weight for your physique through diet control and proper exercise.
