How Does My Doctor Know I Hav... Health Article
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Cancer of the gallbladder is often hard to find. That’s partly due to its interior location. And it’s also because many people do not have any symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
If you’re having gallbladder-cancer-like symptoms, your doctor will ask you about these things.
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Your medical history
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Your family history of cancer
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Your other risk factors
Your doctor will also do a physical exam. You may have X-rays and some of these other tests to evaluate you.
Ultrasonography. An ultrasound uses sound waves to look for abnormalities inside your body. It works much like sonar on a submarine. The sound waves bounce off body parts and send back signals to the computer. Tumors make different echoes than normal tissue. A computer analyzes these signals and makes an image of the body part being scanned.
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). This test combines 2 others: endoscopy and ultrasound. It provides images and information about the digestive tract and nearby tissue and organs. Endoscopy is a procedure that uses a tool called an endoscope. It’s a long bendable tube that’s placed into the mouth or the rectum to reach the digestive tract. In EUS, a small ultrasound tool is put on the end of the endoscope. It lets the doctor see high-quality ultrasound pictures of your organs. An EUS may help your doctor tell the difference between a cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign) tumor.
Computed tomography (CT scan). A CT scan can help identify a gallbladder tumor or tell if the cancer has spread. A CT scanner takes many X-rays as it rotates around you. A computer combines these images to create detailed pictures that your doctor can view.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Instead of X-rays, an MRI scan uses radio waves and strong magnets to create an image of your body. Your doctor may use an MRI scan to assess organs, blood vessels, and lymph nodes.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This is a type of surgery to take out the gallbladder. It uses a tool called a laparoscope. This thin, lighted tube lets a doctor see your gallbladder and nearby organs. The doctor makes a small cut just above your belly button to insert the tube. Many gallbladder cancers are found without being expected at the time of laparoscopic surgery for a suspected problem, such as gallstones. If this is the case, the doctor may take out the tumor during surgery. Or the cancer may be found when a pathologist checks your gallbladder after it is taken out for another suspected problem. A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in looking at cells under a microscope to check for problems, including cancer.
Biopsy. A biopsy may be taken in the operating room during a laparoscopy. Or a fine needle biopsy may be done to help make the diagnosis of cancer. A fine needle biopsy is usually done with the aid of a CT scan to help locate the tumor. This is called a CT scan-guided biopsy. Or an ultrasound can be used to find the tumor instead of a CT scan. Once the tumor is located, the doctor puts a needle exactly where it is and extracts a tissue sample. A specialized doctor called a pathologist looks at the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Liver function tests. These are blood studies that help determine how well the liver is working. They can help diagnose liver and bile duct diseases. Since the gallbladder is part of the liver and bile duct network, these tests are an important tool because gallbladder cancer can affect liver function. Here are most common liver function tests.