Anton Bilchik Discusses Gall Bladder Cancer

Gallbladder cancer is rare, affecting only about 5,000 people per year in the United States. Females and Native Americans are at greater risk for developing gallballer cancer, sometimes called gall bladder carcinoma. Early stages of gallbladder cancer do not cause symptoms; later stages may cause symptoms that are often vague or easily attributable to other causes. The location of the gallbladder makes it difficult for a doctor to palpate, or feel with his hands.

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located just below the liver. Its job is to store bile manufactured by the liver; the body uses bile to digest fat. The gallbladder has three main layers of tissue:

• Inner mucosal layer 

• Middle muscular layer 

• Outer serosal layer 

Cancer is an accelerated growth of unhealthy cells that start in one spot, the primary location, and which can spread to other tissues in a secondary location. Primary gallbladder cancer is a group of malignant cells that starts in the tissues of the gallbladder. Primary gallbladder cancer usually develops in the inner mucosal layer and spreads outward to the outer serosal layer.

Dr. Anton Bilchik is one of the top cancer doctors in the United States. He has special expertise in gallbladder tumors and other types of gastrointestinal cancers. In fact, Anton Bilchik MD recently joined a team of researchers who learned that removal of the gallbladder alone may not be enough, and that taking out the lymph nodes and some surrounding tissue can increase life expectancy for those with cancer of the gallbladder. Gallbladder cancer can only be cured if a qualified cancer surgeon removes the cancerous tissue before it spreads.