February is Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month. Although rare, these cancers affect thousands of people and their families around the world each year.
Learn the signs and symptoms associated with these serious illnesses and find out what steps you can take to help reduce your risk and live a healthier life.
Things that can make you more likely to get Gallbladder and bile duct cancer :
● Inflammatory bowel disease (including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)
● Smoking
● Eating an unhealthy diet
● Older.The average age of diagnosis is 72
● Obesity
● Diabetes
● Viral hepatitis
● Drinking a lot of alcohol
Signs and symptoms of Gallbladder and bile duct cancer :
● Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
● Intensely itchy skin
● White-colored stools
● Fatigue
● Abdominal pain on the right side, just below the ribs
● Losing weight without trying
● Fever
● Night sweats
● Dark urine
There are different types of treatment for patients with Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer.
Surgery is the main treatment for Gallbladder and bile duct Cancers.But unfortunately most of the times by the time it is diagnosed in two thirds of the cases it is inoperable. When the patient is not fit for the surgery then chemotherapy or rarely Radiation therapy is used in the treatment of these cancers.
Taking these steps helps maintain good health and may reduce a person's risk of gallbladder and bile duct cancer, as well as many other types of cancer:
● Get to and stay at a healthy weight
● Keep physically active and limit the time you spend sitting or lying down
● Follow a healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and limits or avoids red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods
● It's best not to drink alcohol. If you do drink, have no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 per day for men
● Get vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) to prevent infection with this virus and the cirrhosis it can cause.
● Take precautions to avoid blood-borne or sexually transmitted infections like HBV and other viruses (like hepatitis C virus) to help prevent cirrhosis.
● Treat hepatitis infections (such as B and C) to help prevent cirrhosis.
● Quit (or don’t start) smoking.
● Avoiding exposure to radon or other radioactive chemicals
Gallbladder-friendly foods
For a healthy gallbladder, incorporate the following foods into your diet:
● bell peppers
● citrus fruits
● dark, leafy greens
● tomatoes
● milk
● sardines.
● fish and shellfish
● low-fat dairy
● beans
● nuts
● lentils
● tofu
● tempeh
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables is the best way to improve and protect your gallbladder's health. Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients and fiber, the latter of which is essential to a healthy gallbladder.
(The writer is Consultant Surgical Oncologist, Yashoda Hospitals)
