Gallbladder Cancer: A Plain-Language Overview

This page explains what gallbladder cancer is, what raises the risk, why it is often found late, and how it is treated.

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ tucked beneath the liver. It stores bile, a fluid that helps digest fat. Gallbladder cancer starts here. It is uncommon. Nearly all cases are adenocarcinomas, a type that starts in the gland cells lining the inside of the gallbladder.

Gallstones are the most common risk factor. Most people with gallstones never get gallbladder cancer. Still, ACS says up to 4 out of 5 people with gallbladder cancer have gallstones when it is found. Other risk factors include:

• Porcelain gallbladder — calcium deposits that build up on the gallbladder wall over years.
• Gallbladder polyps — growths inside the gallbladder. ACS says polyps larger than 1 centimeter are usually removed because of the higher risk.
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis, a disease that inflames and scars the bile ducts.
• Chronic infections, including certain bacteria like Salmonella or H. pylori.
• Being female — gallbladder cancer occurs 3 to 4 times more often in women than men.
• Older age — the average age at diagnosis is 72.
• Excess body weight, partly because it raises the risk of gallstones too.

Gallbladder cancer usually causes no symptoms until the tumor has grown large or already spread. When symptoms do appear, they can include:

• Pain in the upper right part of the belly.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes, caused by a bile blockage.
• A lump that can be felt in the belly.
• Loss of appetite, weight loss, and belly swelling.
• Fever, itchy skin, dark urine, or light-colored stools.

These symptoms overlap heavily with gallstones and other common digestive problems. That is part of why gallbladder cancer is easy to miss early. Many cases are actually found by accident. This happens when a gallbladder is removed for gallstones and the tissue is later found to contain cancer under the microscope.

Treatment depends heavily on how early the cancer is found. Sometimes it is caught early, by accident, during gallbladder removal for another reason. In that case, surgery to remove the gallbladder is part of treatment. This is usually the best-case scenario. It is a good reason to have any suspicious finding fully evaluated, rather than assumed to be harmless.

Cancer found at a later stage is treated differently. Treatment usually combines surgery, when possible, with chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. The mix depends on the cancer's extent and specific features. When the cancer cannot be removed, ask your team how treatment can control growth and ease symptoms.

One subtype is worth knowing about. Papillary adenocarcinoma is a less common form of gallbladder cancer. It tends to have a better outlook than most other types. ACS says it is less likely to spread into the liver or nearby lymph nodes.

• Was my gallbladder cancer found incidentally, or through symptoms — and does that change my treatment?
• Is surgery to remove the cancer possible, and what would it involve?
• Should I be checked for spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs?
• If cure is not possible, what treatments can control the cancer and ease my symptoms?

• National Cancer Institute — Gallbladder Cancer Treatment (PDQ)
• American Cancer Society — What Is Gallbladder Cancer?
• American Cancer Society — Gallbladder Cancer Risk Factors
• American Cancer Society — Signs and Symptoms of Gallbladder Cancer