liver and gallbladder disorders
Tumors of the Bile Ducts and Gallbladder
Treatment of Bile Duct and Gallbladder Tumors
Insertion of stents into blocked bile ducts Sometimes surgery to remove tumor Most bile duct and gallbladder cancers are fatal, but treatment can help control symptoms. Tubes (stents) inserted into a duct allow bile to flow past the blockage. This procedure helps control pain and relieves itchiness. Stents can be inserted during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Surgery to remove a cancerous tumor may be done, but usually the tumor cannot be completely removed. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cholangiocarcinoma may be used. If tumors have spread from other parts of the body (metastasized), chemotherapy may provide some symptom relief but does not dramatically improve survival. Very early gallbladder cancer that is found during surgery for gallstones can often be cured by removing the gallbladder. If bile duct cancer is limited to the bottom of the liver (where the bile ducts outside of the liver meet the bile ducts inside the liver), a Liver Transplantation may be a curative option. 