Gall Bladder Cancer

Gallbladder cancer is cancer that begins in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of your abdomen, just beneath your liver. The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid produced by your liver to digest fat. As your stomach and intestines digest food, your gallbladder releases bile through a tube called the common bile duct. The duct connects your gallbladder and liver to your small intestine.

Gallbladder cancer is uncommon. Gallbladder cancer is difficult to diagnose because it often causes no specific signs or symptoms. Also, the relatively hidden nature of the gallbladder makes it easier for gallbladder cancer to grow without being detected.

When gallbladder cancer is discovered at its earliest stages, the chance for a cure is very good. However, most gallbladder cancers are discovered at a late stage, when the prognosis is often poor. Treatment options for gallbladder cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, alone or in combination.

It is not clear what causes gallbladder cancer. Cancer occurs when cells in your gallbladder develop errors (mutations) in their DNA. The errors make cells grow and divide out of control. The accumulating abnormal cells form a tumor in the gall bladder that can grow to invade nearby structures and spread to other parts of the body.

Risk factors for developing gallbladder cancer include:

• Your sex. Gallbladder cancer is more common in women.
• Your age. Your risk of gallbladder cancer increases as you age.
• Your weight. People who are obese are at higher risk for developing gallbladder cancer.
• A history of gallstones. Gallbladder cancer is most common in people who have had gallstones in the past. Still, gallbladder cancer is very rare in these people.
• Other gallbladder diseases and conditions. Other gallbladder conditions that can increase the risk of gallbladder cancer include porcelain gallbladder, choledochal cyst, and chronic gallbladder infection.

See your doctor for upper-right abdominal pain, bloating, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, or yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice). Have persistent or unexplained symptoms evaluated promptly.