Stages in Gallbladder Cancer

Cancer staging, is basically the process of ascertaining the spread of cancer in the body and what is its origin. Staging traces the gravity of the cancer in an individual depending upon  epicenter of the origin and how far has it spread.

Staging is mainly based on the following factors

1. Site of origin of the tumor
2. Size of tumor and the extent of tumors
3. Has the cancer reached the lymph nodes
4. Metastasis ( spread to distant organs)

Stages of Cancer

Stage 0 (Carcinoma in situ) – Abnormal cell growth is found in the innermost (mucosal) layer of the gallbladder; these abnormal cells may in future become cancer.

Stage 1 (First) 

Cancer has started and has spread beyond the innermost (mucosal) layer to a layer of tissue with blood vessels or to the muscle layer.

Stage 2 (Second)

Cancer has spread beyond the middle (muscle) layer to the connective tissue around the layer.

Stage 3 (Three)

Stage 3A- Cancer has spread through the thin layers of tissue that cover the gallbladder and/or to the liver and/or to one nearby organ (stomach, pancreas, colon, small intestine or bile ducts outside of the liver)

Stage 3B- Cancer has spread to neighboring lymph nodes and beyond the inner layer of the gallbladder to a layer of tissue with blood vessels. OR

Spread to the muscle layer; or beyond the middle (muscle) layer to the connective tissue around the muscle. OR

Spread through the thin layers of tissue that cover the gallbladder and/or to the liver and/or to one neighboring organ

Stage 4 (Four)

Stage 4A- Cancer has spread to a main blood vessel of the liver or to 2 or more nearby organs or areas other than the liver. Cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 4B- Cancer has spread to either lymph nodes along large arteries in the abdomen and/or near the lower part of the backbone or to organs or areas far away from the gallbladder

Management

The stages are also grouped depending upon the treatment. There treatment can be divided into two groups:

Localized (Stage I): cancer is found in the wall of the gallbladder and can be completely removed by surgery.

Un-resectable (Stage II, Stage III, and Stage IV): cancer has spread through the wall of the gallbladder to surrounding tissues or organs or throughout the abdominal cavity. Except in patients whose cancer has spread only to lymph nodes, the cancer is un-resectable ( surgery cannot be performed).

Cancer keeps coming back!

Cancer that has returned after it has been treated is known as "recurrent cancer". The cancer may come back in the gallbladder or other body parts. If there is a recurrence, the cancer may need to be staged again, known as re-staging (as explained above).

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