Cancer Care Network
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February is Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Month
February 1, 2017 @ 12:00 am - February 28, 2017 @ 11:59 pm
February is Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month.
The gallbladder can uncommonly develop tumors in it. If it is found early enough, it can be cured. Discovering it can be tricky; however, since it seldom produces symptoms and the gallbladder is small and sits tucked under the liver, surrounded by larger organs.
Some common symptoms of gallbladder cancer are stomach pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, nausea, jaundice, lumps, appetite loss, weight loss, fever, itchiness, dark urine and light stool.
Bile ducts are tiny, thin tubes that carry digestive bile fluid from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine to aid in fat digestion. There are three different cancers that can affect the various parts of the ducts.
Bile duct cancers are thankfully rare but instances do increase with age. However, due to it being a slow-growing cancer, it is hard to detect unless it is late in the process when the ducts become clogged. They can be aggressive and hard to treat.
Bile duct cancers seldom present symptoms.
Please contact your physician if you have any questions or notice any changes in your body.