Gallbladder Cancer

Your gallbladder is a small organ on the right side of your abdomen that stores bile from your liver. Most gallbladder cancer begins in the glandular cells that line your gallbladder. Gallbladder cancer that begins in this type of cell is called adenocarcinoma.

About Gallbladder Cancer

  • Gallbladder cancer is very rare. It’s more common in women than in men.
  • Gallbladder cancer often has no symptoms and often is not detected in the early stages.

  • Approximately 43% of gallbladder cancers are found after they have spread to other areas of the body.

Risks Factors for Gallbladder Cancer

A history of gallstones increases your risk for gallbladder cancer, but most people that get gallstones do not develop gallbladder cancer.

Other risk factors associated with gallbladder cancer include:

  • Age.
  • A personal or family history of gallstones.
  • Being of American Indian, Alaska Native, or African American descent.
  • Being female.
  • Diet.
  • Environmental exposures.
  • Gallbladder infections and inflammation.
  • Obesity.
Man suffering from stomachache

Make an appointment

For more information, please contact your oncologist or the Cancer Care Center at (859) 301-4000.

Causes of Gallbladder Cancer

The cause of gallbladder cancer is unknown, but if you have any risk factors, the possibility of you developing gallbladder cancer increases.

Symptoms of Gallbladder Cancer

There are often no signs or symptoms of gallbladder cancer. If symptoms appear, they include:

  • Abdominal bloating.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Fever.
  • Nausea.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Yellow discoloration of your skin or whites of eyes.

Diagnosing Gallbladder Cancer

If your doctor suspects that you have gallbladder cancer, they may run tests to determine the stage of cancer to develop the best treatment plan. These tests include:

  • Blood tests to check genetic makeup and blood markers.
  • Bile duct tests.
  • Biopsy.
  • CT scan.
  • Exploratory surgery.
  • PET/CT scan.
  • MRI.
  • Ultrasound.

If you’ve been diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, we can provide a second opinion and present treatment options.

Treating Gallbladder Cancer

At St. Elizabeth Healthcare, we believe in caring for you, not just treating your cancer. Our holistic approach means we combine cancer treatment with working to minimize side effects and help you manage them. Our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible while we use innovative approaches to treat your cancer. Depending on the stage of your cancer and whether it has spread, your treatment may include:

  • Chemotherapy — Therapy that uses drugs injected through IV, taken by mouth or applied on the skin to attack and kill cancer cells.
  • Clinical trials — Innovative drug and genetic therapies used to treat gallbladder cancers.
  • Immunotherapy — Medication therapy that stimulates your own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
  • Interventional radiation procedures — Nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedures to kill or shrink tumors.
  • Radiation therapy — Therapy that uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells.

  • Surgery — A procedure to remove cancer while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.

  • Precision medicine — Medication therapy that uses your DNA to specifically target the cells that lead to cancer and stop cancer from forming and spreading.

  • Supportive care — Helping you coordinate appointments and treating the side effects of cancer or treatment.

Preventing Gallbladder Cancer

Lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk of gallbladder cancer include:

  • Avoid smoking — Smoking is linked to many cancers, including cancers of the gallbladder.

  • Decrease alcohol consumption — Heavy alcohol use is associated with cancers of the gallbladder.

  • Diet — A diet rich in fiber, fruits, green vegetables, and whole grains can lower your risk of digestive cancers, including gallbladder cancer.

  • Maintain a healthy weight — Obesity is a risk factor in many cancers, including gallbladder cancer.

Your Cancer Care Team

Cancer Research Physicians

The team includes medical oncologists specializing in immunotherapy and precision medicine, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, thoracic surgeons, pain management specialists, genetic counselors, pathologists, nutritionists, pharmacists, nurses and support staff. They work together to create a treatment plan that’s just right for you.

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