Gallbladder Cancer Treatment

If cancer develops in the gallbladder, the impact on your health can be serious and, in some cases, fatal. That’s why it is important to seek treatment at first detection.

At Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, our team of physicians put into place a comprehensive, coordinated approach to meet your gallbladder cancer treatment needs. Treatments can range from chemotherapy and surgery (resection) to cutting-edge targeted and immunotherapies. Each patient we treat is provided the most advanced treatment options by gallbladder cancer specialists who work solely in this specialized field.

Whether your gallbladder cancer is in the early stages or later stages, your individualized treatment plan will take into account the stage of your disease, your overall health, the side effects of the treatment and relieving gallbladder cancer symptoms. To determine the best treatment plan, each gallbladder cancer case is presented and reviewed by Winship’s tumor board based on data and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines.

Your gallbladder cancer care team is a diverse group made up of gastroenterologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists and more who are all highly trained to treat cancer of the gallbladder and biliary system.

Each patient’s individual gallbladder cancer treatment options depend on the extent of the cancer itself. Whenever possible, surgery is the primary treatment option for gallbladder cancer. In many cases, it provides the best chance of treating and curing the cancer. Because surgery plays such a vital role in most treatment plans, gallbladder cancer is divided into two separate categories:

• Resectable cancers. When the cancer can be removed completely with surgery alone.
• Unresectable cancers. When the cancer has spread outside of the gallbladder and into nearby areas, for example the liver, bile ducts and/or lymph nodes, and is too difficult to remove by surgery alone.

Based on the extent of the cancer and whether a gallbladder is resectable or unresectable, one or more of the following gallbladder treatment options will be used:

Surgery

Surgery is the main treatment method for gallbladder cancer. In gallbladder cancer surgery, the entire gallbladder is removed in patients with early-stage disease. This procedure is called a cholecystectomy. For those with advanced gallbladder cancer, surgery will remove the gallbladder and a portion of the liver and bile ducts. Winship leads the field nationally and provides exceptional surgical expertise when it comes to gallbladder cancer surgery, including the extent of the surgery, the timing of the surgery and the actual operation itself.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is used to treat both resectable and unresectable gallbladder cancers. At Winship, radiation oncologists provide state-of-the-art, highly targeted radiation therapy to gallbladder cancer patients using the Emory Proton Therapy Center, the only one in the state.

Chemotherapy

Cancer-killing drugs are used to kill or slow the growth of the tumor. Chemotherapy is sometimes used along with surgery and radiation.

Immunotherapy

The use of medicines to boost a person’s own immune system to recognize and destroy the cancerous cells in the body. These drugs often have fewer side effects than chemotherapy and radiation.

Targeted Therapy

Winship’s most promising research in treating gallbladder cancer is in personalized medicine and targeted therapies. In targeted therapies, investigators look for new drugs that selectively target cancer cells with fewer side effects.

Winship uses next-generation sequencing and comprehensive genomic profiling to identify unique genetic characteristics of a person’s gallbladder tumor, to understand what makes them vulnerable to known drugs so therapy can be tailored to an individual’s cancer.

Each person’s treatment plan will look different. Winship’s cancer team will be with you throughout the process to answer any questions or concerns you may have, minimize treatment side effects and provide support.

In addition to standard therapies, participating in clinical trials may be an option in certain cases. Clinical trials provide patients access to new medications that are being developed to treat bile duct cancer. Winship is Georgia’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, offering patients the latest clinical trials being done to combat gallbladder cancer today.

At Winship, each patient is carefully considered to see whether they qualify for a clinical trial using innovative treatment methods.

Besides the advanced care and treatment methods, Winship also offers a supportive oncology team of specialized doctors and nurses who can help with the physical, psychological and emotional aspects of living with cancer, including symptom management and counseling. We know that a cancer diagnosis is scary and stressful. That’s why Winship’s counselors, nurse navigators, dietitians and social service professionals are with you every step of the way.