Gallbladder Cancer Summary Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ under your liver. It stores bile, a fluid made 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. Cancer of the gallbladder is rare. It is more common in women and Native Americans. Symptoms include Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) Pain above the stomach Fever Nausea and vomiting Bloating Lumps in the abdomen It is hard to diagnose gallbladder cancer in its early stages. Sometimes doctors find it when they remove the gallbladder for another reason. But people with gallstones rarely have gallbladder cancer. Because it is often found late, it can be hard to treat gallbladder cancer. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination. NIH: National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute Encyclopedia Abdominal MRI Diagnosis and Tests Abdominal Ultrasound Array CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases How Is Gallbladder Cancer Diagnosed? American Cancer Society Liver Panel American Association for Clinical Chemistry Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) Array Stages of Gallbladder Cancer National Cancer Institute Array After chemotherapy – discharge Find an Expert American Cancer Society American Cancer Society Find a Cancer Doctor American Society of Clinical Oncology National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Organizations That Offer Support Services National Cancer Institute Prevention and Risk Factors Can Gallbladder Cancer Be Prevented? American Cancer Society Treatments and Therapies Chemotherapy for Gallbladder Cancer American Cancer Society Gallbladder Cancer: Surgery American Cancer Society Treatment Option Overview (Gallbladder Cancer) National Cancer Institute Treatment Options for Gallbladder Cancer National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Gallbladder Neoplasms National Institutes of Health Reference Desk Dictionary of Cancer Terms National Cancer Institute Start Here Gallbladder Cancer American Society of Clinical Oncology General Information about Gallbladder Cancer National Cancer Institute What Is Gallbladder Cancer? American Cancer Society Related Issues Gallbladder Polyps: Can They Be Cancerous? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research What Are the Risk Factors for Gallbladder Cancer? American Cancer Society Videos and Tutorials Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site (LESS) Procedure OR-Live Living With Palliative Therapy for Gallbladder Cancer American Cancer Society Journal Articles Gallbladder Cancer Patient Handouts Understanding Chemotherapy National Cancer Institute What to Know about Brachytherapy (A Type of Internal Radiation Therapy) National Cancer Institute What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy National Cancer Institute Statistics and Research What Are the Key Statistics about Gallbladder Cancer? American Cancer Society What’s New in Gallbladder Cancer Research and Treatment? American Cancer Society
