Can gallstones lead to gallbladder cancer?

Gallstones are a common but often overlooked health problem. The disease may not cause symptoms for many years. Meanwhile, gallbladder cancer is a dangerous disease that can be fatal if not promptly intervened.

Gallstones are a condition in which stones form in the gallbladder or bile duct. These stones are formed by crystallization of bile. Gallstones can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, yellowing of the skin and eyes, and fever. This is a common disease, but gallbladder cancer is relatively rare, according to the health website Healthline (USA).

Gallstones can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.

Most people with gallstones or cholecystitis will not develop gallbladder cancer. However, the risk of cancer in people with a history of gallbladder disease, especially gallstones, is about five times higher than in the general population.

The reason is that gallstones will cause prolonged inflammation in the gallbladder. This condition, along with the gallstones blocking the bile duct, will also damage the cells in the gallbladder. Cells that are continuously damaged over a long period of time will easily mutate and develop into cancer.

In addition, having large stones or stones with special composition, such as black pigment stones, will also increase the risk of gallbladder cancer.

Bile problems are also associated with other risk factors that increase the risk of gallbladder cancer. Specifically, people with a family history of gallbladder cancer, people over 70 years old or suffering from diseases such as Crohn's disease, diabetes are also more likely to get gallbladder cancer than normal people.

What to do to effectively reduce the risk of gallbladder cancer and gallstones?

To reduce the risk of gallbladder cancer, people need to adopt a healthy diet and maintain a reasonable weight. This will help prevent the risk of gallstones forming.

A healthy diet should prioritize eating lots of green vegetables, fruits, and foods rich in fiber, while limiting foods high in fat, especially saturated fats and cholesterol. Overweight and obese people should lose weight. A healthy weight not only helps prevent cancer and heart disease, but also many other dangerous diseases.

If you are diagnosed with gallstones, your doctor may recommend treatment depending on your health condition. In some cases, you may need surgery to remove your gallbladder, especially if you have signs of gallbladder inflammation. This will help avoid complications and reduce the risk of gallbladder cancer, according to Healthline.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/soi-mat-co-the-dan-den-ung-thu-tui-mat-khong-185241226134837808.htm