No clinics available
At Medijump, we're making medical easy. You can search, compare, discuss, and book your medical all in one place. We open the door to the best medical providers worldwide, saving you time and energy along the way, and it's all for FREE, no hidden fees, and no price markups guaranteed. So what are you waiting for?
Different types of treatments are available to patients with gallbladder cancer. The main types of treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, and treatment to help with symptoms. The type of treatment that is best for you depends on several factors, including the type of gallbladder cancer you have, the stage of cancer, your overall health, and your preferences. During your gallbladder cancer treatment, you will be looked after by a team of doctors who specialize in different aspects of treatment, including a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a gastroenterologist, and a surgeon.
Surgery is the main treatment for early-stage gallbladder cancer. The following are types of surgery performed to treat gallbladder cancer:
Cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder. In some cases, a small amount of liver that surrounds the gallbladder may also be removed (called an extended cholecystectomy).
Radical gallbladder resection involves the removal of the gallbladder, a part of the liver near the gallbladder, all or part of the ligaments between the intestines and the liver, the common bile duct, as well as the lymph nodes around the pancreas and blood vessels near the area.
Surgery is generally performed under general anesthetic, so you will not feel anything throughout the procedure.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells or to stop them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy: external and internal. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside of the body, while internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in a device that is placed near or directly into cancer. The most common type of radiation therapy for gallbladder cancer is external radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop cancer cells from dividing. It can also kill cancer cells. The drug can be injected into a vein or muscle or taken by mouth. In some cases, the drugs may also be placed directly into the affected organ.
Treatment to help with symptoms
Also known as palliative care, this type of treatment aims to slow down cancer and to help you manage symptoms that may occur. For instance, if your bile ducts are blocked due to advanced gallbladder cancer, your surgeon can place a stent in a duct in order to hold it open or reroute bile ducts around the blockage.
For surgical procedures, you need to stay in the hospital for 1 to 3 days and stay in Dominican Republic for at least 7 to 14 more days for follow-up checkups. For radiation therapy and chemotherapy, your length of stay depends on your treatment plan (how many cycles of therapy you need).
The recovery time for surgical procedures may take 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the type of surgery you underwent and the technique your surgeon used. Side effects after radiation therapy and chemotherapy usually subside within several weeks or months.
Your medical team will give you a set of aftercare instructions after any type of treatment. It is important that you follow all of the instructions carefully to avoid complications. The instructions may include a special diet, light exercises, wound care (for surgical procedures), and restrictions.
Make sure to eat a healthy and balanced diet, avoid bad habits (such as smoking), and exercise regularly after you have recovered. You will also need checkups with your doctor for the rest of your life. Regular medical care is important to stay healthy. Regular checkups are necessary to ensure cancer has not come back.
Gallbladder cancer treatment can be effective and successful. In many cases, treatments may even put you in remission (when cancer cannot be detected in the body and there are no symptoms).
Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy all come with potential risks and side effects. These include infection, bile leakage, and damage to a bile duct, bleeding, swelling, blood clots, heart problems, pneumonia, hematoma, nausea, vomiting, and hair loss.
Some people choose to take part in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a research study that is used to obtain more information on new treatments or to improve current treatments. Currently, treatments called radiation sensitizers are being tested. Radiation sensitizers include hyperthermia therapy (a treatment in which high temperatures are used to kill cancer cells) and radiosensitizers (a treatment that involves the use of drugs that can make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy). Patients who take part in clinical treatment help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future.
Before you receive treatment, your gallbladder cancer can cause uncomfortable symptoms, may spread to other parts of the body, and may even become dangerous. After treatment, your chance of surviving the cancer is increased. In some cases, you may even be put in remission, meaning no cancer cells are found in your body.
Whilst the information presented here has been accurately sourced and verified by a medical professional for its accuracy, it is still advised to consult with your doctor before pursuing a medical treatment at one of the listed medical providers
Enquire Now
The Dominican Republic can be found on the island of Hispaniola and is a part of the island group, the Great Antilles. The nation has diverse natural environments and land features. Characterized by rugged mountains on one side and the other side consist of low lying valleys and coastal plains. It is the world’s leading producer of professional baseball players. It is also home to the highest mountain, Pico Duarte, and the largest lake, Lago Enriquillo in the Caribbean Region.
In recent times, the Dominican Republic has become popular with medical tourists. Tourists, particularly from the United States, visit the country for Plastic and Reconstructive surgeries, especially for Breast Augmentation procedure. About 25,000 to 30,000 patients visit the Dominican Republic yearly for various medical treatments. The most sought-after services are general, Plastic and cosmetic surgeries, dental procedures, weight-loss, oncology, and orthopedic treatments.
Most medical service providers are situated around the capital city Santa Domingo and Santiago. The medical establishments offer competitive healthcare services with highly-qualified and internationally-trained surgeons. The following clinics can be found in Santa Domingo: Dr. Rafael E. Estevez - Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeon, Dr. Gustavo Almanzar Plastic Surgery Clinic, Alba Reyes Skin, and Hair Transplant Institute and Dr. Ivan Strachan Bariatric Clinic.
The Dominican Republic is an unmatched destination with amazing natural sceneries, intriguing history, and diverse culture. It offers ecotourism adventures in splendid national parks, mountain ranges, beaches, and rivers.
Top attractions of the Dominican Republic:
Jarabacoa, Sosua, La Romana, Las Aguilas, and Puerto Plata & Playa Dorada are several other popular tourist spots in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic has a tropical weather climate, and constant temperature throughout the year, with average yearly temperature, is around 77°F.
The hottest and humid period is from May to October. The mild winter season is from December to March. The period between November and April are the moderate seasons.
Rainfall is seasonal. The eastern and southern coasts experience rains between April and October. The northern coast receives rains throughout the year due to the influence of the north-eastern trade winds. The southern region is prone to hurricanes, with most striking in the months of August and September.
The Dominican Republic offers easy access to the rest of the world with a myriad of flight options from North America and Europe. The main ports of entry into the country by air are the international airports in Santa Domingo, Punta Cana, and Puerto Plata. Santiago and Samana airports are other points of entry.
There are many flights from major cities of Canada and the US. The most frequent flights are from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Montreal. JetBlue, the budget airlines, operates flights from North America to Santo Domingo, Santiago, and Puerto Plata.
The Dominican Republic has a well-developed inter-country transport infrastructure with a large network of roads. It has many types of public transportation for moving around within cities such as buses, the metro, carro publicos, guaguas, and the motoconchos.
Carro Publicos are small car-public taxis and have a specific route displayed on their roof. Guaguas are privately-owned minivans and pick up travelers from any point and drop them off close to their desired location. Motoconchos are private motorcycle taxis that have reasonable fares and are ideal for short journeys.
Citizens of countries such as the UK, USA, and Canada, and Schengen countries are not required to have a tourist visa to enter the Dominican Republic, under a bilateral agreement between the countries. However, they do need to:
Nationals of countries like India, Sri Lanka, China, and Russia need to get a tourist visa to travel to the Dominican Republic. The visas are multiple-entry type and are valid for 60 days.