Our Support Services We understand that life is different after a diagnosis of cancer 
|
|
|
Communication with patients and their caregivers is a priority at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. We believe that treating the whole person, not just the disease, is best for both patients and their families. Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers a broad range of emotional support programs designed to help patients and family members cope with the range of issues related to life during and after cancer treatment. For more information about the services we offer, please visit the After Treatment section.
Individualized Treatment
If gallbladder or bile duct cancer is suspected, the diagnosis may be confirmed through a biopsy, in which a small sample of bile duct or gallbladder tissue is removed and examined under a microscope. Once a diagnosis has been established, additional tests may be required to determine the extent (stage) and precise location of the tumor, which can affect the choice and outcome of treatment. (For more information about the risk factors for developing gallbladder or bile duct cancer, visit the Risk Factors section.)
Multidisciplinary input is an important aspect of the treatment plan, since many patients will receive more than one type of treatment. For bile duct and gallbladder cancer, this may include some combination of surgery and nonsurgical treatments such as ablation (removal or destruction), embolization (blockage of blood flow to the tumor), novel biologic therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Having a team of specialists collaborating on treatment from the very beginning optimizes patient care.
Our Surgical Experience
Memorial Sloan-Kettering's surgeons have extensive experience in gallbladder and bile duct cancer surgery. Our surgeons are continuously working to improve the effectiveness and safety of these procedures, and we routinely offer surgical treatment to many patients of all ages whose tumors are considered inoperable at other hospitals.
Gallbladder cancer is often discovered during laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder to treat gallstones, when the tumor is only partly removed. This greatly complicates the situation and makes curative therapy more difficult. Surgeons at Memorial Sloan-Kettering have found that additional, aggressive surgical treatment can improve long-term survival and cure for patients with gallbladder cancer discovered during laparoscopy, including large tumors that have spread to the liver.1 2
-
Expertise in Minimally Invasive Symptom Relief
Some patients with inoperable bile duct or gallbladder cancer may experience severe abdominal pain. Memorial Sloan-Kettering's doctors were among the first to use a minimally invasive technique known as neurolytic celiac plexus block, which involves injecting an anesthetic directly into the nerves that cause abdominal pain. This therapy has been shown to relieve pain level and boost a patient's mood, and life expectancy. It can be performed either during laparoscopic staging of the disease or during evaluation by endoscopic ultrasound -- with fewer side effects than conventional approaches to pain management. To learn more about this palliative procedure, visit the Treatment section.
In addition, Memorial Sloan-Kettering's interventional radiologists and gastroenterologists are experienced in identifying patients who can benefit from minimally invasive procedures that allow bile to drain out of the gallbladder or through a bile duct that is blocked by a tumor. These procedures are not curative, but can relieve debilitating symptoms caused by a blocked bile duct, such as jaundice, itching, nausea, vomiting, and infection.
