In August, it will be one year since I wrote about Lynne, a woman with gallbladder cancer and not a whole lot of information about the disease. There is so little current news on the topic, in fact, that in the archives of all Cancer Blog posts, there is only one about this type of cancer. It's my post about Lynne.

Lynne was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer in May 2006 and just a few months later started publishing her blog.

"I was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, a rare and aggressive form of cancer with a poor prognosis," Lynne wrote right away. "Information was hard to find, and I want to chronicle my experiences, to share what I have learned about this diagnosis and its physical and emotional implications. I also want to explore the spiritual implications of receiving a life threatening diagnosis."

Ever since she typed her first blog entry, Lynne has been journaling her battle. A recent entry reads:

"Mostly, things bubble along pretty much the same. I have had more pain in the last 10 days or so, but the hospice nurse, Mary, is doing a great job of helping medicate my pain. When I'm comfortable and reasonably pain free, I feel better to do other things."

There is so much more to this brave woman and her story. To learn more about Lynne, click here. To learn more about gallbladder cancer, keep reading.

The Numbers

It's estimated that about 9,250 new cases of gallbladder cancer and bile duct cancer (not including bile ducts within the liver) will be diagnosed in 2007 in the United States. About 3,250 people will die of these cancers during the same year. Of all cases, half will be due to gallbladder cancer. But there's good news: the number of deaths from gallbladder cancer has been dropping. Overall, the number of diagnosed cases have dropped by over 50 percent since 1973. Worldwide, this disease is much more common in Asia, Eastern Europe, and South American than it is in the United States.

Risk Factors

Gender is a risk factor -- women are twice as likely to develop gallbladder cancer than men, and the disease is more common among white women than black women. The risk of developing gallbladder cancer in the United States is highest among Native Americans of New Mexico -- it occurs among this population five times more often than in whites. Age plays a part too. Nearly 75 percent of people with gallbladder cancer are older than 65. Other risk factors include gallbladder polyps, abnormalities in the area connecting the bile and pancreatic ducts, exposure to rubber plants and metal-fabricating industries, salmonella infection, choledochal cysts, gallstones, gallbladder calcium deposits, family history, obesity, and high-carbohydrate, low fiber diets. Most doctors believe chronic inflammation is the major cause of gallbladder cancer. At this time, there is no known method for preventing this disease.

Symptoms

The most often reported symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, jaundice, and gallbladder enlargement. Less common are loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal swelling, severe itching, and black tarry stools. It is important to note that these symptoms can also warn of non-cancerous conditions.

Detection & Diagnosis

Gallbladder cancer, detected by methods including history and physical exam, blood tests, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, angiography and similar tests, laparoscopy, and biopsy, is typically discovered in its most advanced stages, when symptoms start appearing. Only one-fourth of cases are discovered in the early stages. Some gallbladder cases are diagnosed when the gallbladder is removed due to gallstones. Most, however, are diagnosed when a patient seeks medical attention for symptoms.

Staging

Gallbladder cancer is staged using the Roman Numerals 0-IV. The stages break down as follows.

Stage 0: Cancer is found only in the lining of the gallbladder and has not spread to lymph nodes, tissues, or organs distant from the gallbladder.

Stage IA: The tumor invades the muscle layer yet has not spread to lymph nodes, tissues, or organs.

Stage IB: The tumor invades the perimuscular connective tissue yet has not spread to lymph nodes, tissues, or organs.

Stage IIA: The tumor invades the serosa layer and/or directly invades the liver and/or one other adjacent organ. It still has not spread to lymph nodes, tissues, or distant organs.

Stage IIB: The tumor has spread to local lymph nodes.

Stage III: The tumor invades the main blood vessels leading into the liver or several organs outside the liver. It may or may not have spread to lymph nodes.

Stage IV: The tumor has spread to tissues or organs distant from the gallbladder.

Treatment

There are two types of surgery for gallbladder cancer. There's potentially curative surgery and palliative surgery. The former may cure the patient of the disease; the latter is performed to relieve pain or prevent complications. Chemotherapy, while ineffective in curing this disease on its own, can be used in conjunction with surgery and radiation.

Survival

Overall, only 15 percent of gallbladder patients survive for five years after diagnosis because most -- nearly 70 percent -- are diagnosed so late. Chances for surviving for five years -- this is just a standard way of discussing prognosis and doesn't predict outcomes for everyone -- are as follows:

Stage 0 = 77.5 percent
Stage I = 48 percent
Stage II = 27 percent
Stage III = 9 percent
Stage IV = 2 percent

For more information on gallbladder cancer, take a peek at these websites:

American Cancer Society
Cholangiocarcinoma.org
Johns Hopkins Online Discussion Board
MayoClinic.com
National Cancer Institute

And these blogs:

Caroline's Cancer Diary
Leafing
Life Changing Cancer (this is Lynne's blog)