Gallbladder Cancer

The gallbladder is a small organ behind your lower right ribs and under your liver. The liver creates a fluid called bile that helps your body digest the fats you eat. Your body stores bile in the gallbladder.

The most common type of gallbladder cancer is adenocarcinoma. It usually begins in  the cells that line the inside of the gallbladder, but can sometimes spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs.

Small, early tumors in the gallbladder are hard to find because the gallbladder is hidden deep inside your body, so your provider can’t feel it for lumps, and there are no blood tests or other ways to detect early gallbladder cancer.

In many cases, gallbladder cancer isn’t found until after the tumor has had time to grow larger and spread to the liver or other parts of the abdomen.

Gallstones are the leading risk factor for gallbladder cancer. Because women are more likely than men to get gallstones, that means women are also more likely to get gallbladder cancer. However, most people who have gallstones never get gallbladder cancer.

Other risk factors for gallbladder cancer are:

• Weight. Most people who get gallbladder cancer are overweight or obese.
• Age. Most people with gallbladder cancer are 65 or older when they are diagnosed.

Gallbladder cancer is often diagnosed when a person goes in for surgery for a different reason—for example, to remove gallstones from the gallbladder.  

Imaging tests help your provider learn more about the size and location of a gallbladder tumor. Your provider may recommend one or more of the following:  

• Computed tomography (CT). These scans can help your provider see the exact size and position of your tumor.  
• Ultrasound. Ultrasounds can help your provider detect the location and number of tumors in the gallbladder and surrounding areas.  
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These scans can help your provider see the exact size and position of your tumor. Your provider can also use this to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.  
• Biopsy. This test involves taking a sample of your tumor and viewing it under a microscope to see if any cancer cells are present. 

Your treatment for gallbladder cancer will depend on the stage and type of cancer. Gallbladder cancer can be treated several different ways, and sometimes more than one therapy is used.

Removal of the gallbladder—a procedure called cholecystectomy—is the recommended treatment for a gallbladder that has a tumor in it. If the cancer has spread beyond the gallbladder, the surgeon also may remove parts of the bile ducts or the liver.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be used if it appears the cancer cells may have spread to other parts of the body.

We also offer clinical trials, which are research studies that give you the opportunity to receive the most recent, advanced treatment options, such as drugs that are not yet on the market and other promising treatments that could increase your chances for recovery and improve your quality of life.