Gallbladder Cancer Survival Rate and Life Expectancy

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Gallbladder cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers and its malignancy is usually diagnosed only after it advances to the non-curable stages. Gallbladder cancer life expectancy and survival rate is however, showing progress, but needs a way long to go to attain satisfying prognosis.

Life expectancy or survival rate for any cancer is good, if the disease is diagnosed in its primary stage and if the treatment begins immediately after the diagnosis. However, detection of gallbladder cancer is difficult and hence, usually the disease is determined at late stages and hence, the disease does not offer much great life expectancy or survival rate.

Many factors again affect the life expectancy or survival rate such as age, treatment technique, and stage at the time of diagnosis, and the spread of malignancy.

Stage Wise Survival Rate Statistics for Gallbladder Cancer

Usually, in the medical world, the doctors calculate a patient's survival rate or his/her prognosis of treatment in terms of 5 years survival chances after the diagnosis. The patient is scrutinized for the possibility of recovery on basis of various factors.

The percentages of people, who live for the next five years after the time of diagnosis, are considered to analyze the survival rate of a particular cancer. However, the survival rate for gallbladder cancer is not so good, as mostly people are diagnosed at a metastasized stage, where it is difficult to treat the condition and only palliative care is helpful to improve the life expectancy.

According to the statistical data from American Cancer Society, almost 80% people are reported to live for 5 years after the detection of cancer. The reports however, represent the data of year 1989 to 1996.

Going further, the 5 year survival rate drops to almost 50% in case the disease is diagnosed at stage 1. Around 28% patients diagnosed at stage 2 are able to survive for 5 years after the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer.

The survival rate percentage drops immensely as the diagnosis stage progresses from stage 2. The percentage is 8% for the patients detected at stage 3A and drops by one more percent to score 7% in people diagnosed at stage 3B.

The survival rate is almost negligible of around 4 and 2% respectively for the patients diagnosed at stage 4A and 4B.

Factors Affecting Life Expectancy and Survival Rate of Gallbladder Cancer

It is difficult to decide the survival rate for each patient with gallbladder cancer as the studies are concluded after considering a group of patients and varies according to various factors. If a person succeeds to work on some of these manageable factors, the gallbladder prognosis of the treatment can improve and better survival rates can be reported.

Almost one third of the patients die due to this cancer and a significant amount of patients do not even survive for couple of months due to metastasized cancer. Following factors can be vital to impact the survival rate for cancer:

  • Age of the patient is important while deciding the treatment for the cancer. Along with the age, overall health is also important. Usually, a young patient may respond far better than an old person to curative treatments such as radiation therapies or even surgical resection of the gallbladder.

  • Treatment technique also needs to be considered so that the survival rate can be improved for a patient. Usually, resection is the best treatment during the stage 0 or 1. However, while the diagnosis is done at the stage 2, 3 or at stage 4, then curative treatment techniques such as radiation therapies and chemotherapy is useful. Also, the schedules of therapy are finalized after considering the patient's condition and cancer stage.

Improving Life Expectancy and Survival Rate

Patient and the families should be hopeful towards the treatments administered and also maintain regular follow-ups as recommended by the doctor. While, the treatment is being administered maintaining healthy lifestyle is also important.

The survival rates for the disease have shown a progress in the past decade and also, there is betterment in the treatment of the disease. The earlier treatment technique was focused on the palliative care such as administration of painkillers to relieve symptoms and pain.

Gallbladder cancer life expectancy and survival rate are improving. Gallbladder research is dedicated to rise the percentage of patients surviving for five years from the diagnosis.

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