Radiation The usefulness of radiation in gall bladder cancer is limited by the damage it causes to the
surrounding noncancerous liver tissue . Radiation may help patients who have small bits of tumor remaining after surgery or in those who have had large tumors removed.
Patients who are not candidates for surgery may also benefit from radiation to the gall bladder area, although they are still likely to have recurrent tumors. The toxicity of such radiation may also worsen existing symptoms such as nausea and loss of appetite.
Combined Therapy The combination of external beam radiation and chemotherapy may play a role after surgery, perhaps prolonging the period before the cancer returns or even curing people who have undergone surgery without complete tumor removal. This treatment, however, is still being studied.
