Gallbladder Cancers: General Overview
Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/04/01 - Updated: 2025/12/20
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: Cancer - Tumors - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This information resource covers gallbladder cancer, a rare malignancy affecting the gallbladder and bile ducts that becomes progressively harder to treat if not caught early. Written by the founder of Disabled World, a long-standing disability news and information source, the article draws on established medical knowledge to explain that gallbladder cancer often produces no early warning signs, making diagnosis difficult, and discusses why certain populations - including Native Americans and women - face elevated risk. The resource walks through diagnostic procedures like ultrasound, CT scans, and blood markers, while noting that early surgical removal offers the only real chance at cure, whereas advanced cases require palliative care to manage symptoms. For people facing a gallbladder cancer diagnosis, seniors, and those with limited access to healthcare information, this straightforward overview provides practical context about what to expect and why getting prompt medical attention matters - Disabled World (DW).
- Definition: Gallbladder Cancer
Gallbladder cancer is a relatively uncommon cancer, with an incidence of fewer than 2 cases per 100,000 people per year in the United States. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen, just beneath your liver. The gallbladder stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by your liver. Gallbladder cancer is prevalent in central and South America, east and central Europe, Japan, and northern India; it is also common in certain ethnic groups, e.g., Native American Indians and Hispanics. If it is diagnosed early enough, it can be cured by removing the gallbladder, part of the liver, and associated lymph nodes. It is often found after symptoms such as abdominal pain, jaundice, and vomiting and has spread to other organs such as the liver.
Introduction
Alternate Names: Cholangiocarcinoma, Klatskin tumor, Biliary Duct cancer.
The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has included Gallbladder Cancer as a Compassionate Allowance to expedite a disability claim.
Main Content
Gallbladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the gallbladder. It begins in the innermost layer of tissue and spreads through the outer layers as it grows.
Bile duct cancer is cancer that forms in a bile duct. Bile duct cancer may be found inside the liver (intrahepatic) or outside the liver (extrahepatic). Klatskin tumor is a type of cholangiocarcinoma that develops where the right and left bile ducts meet.
Risk factors for gallbladder cancer are greatest for females and Native Americans. Symptoms may include jaundice; pain above the stomach; fever, nausea and vomiting; bloating; and lumps in the abdomen.
Gallbladder cancer is difficult to detect and diagnose early because there aren't any noticeable signs or symptoms in the early stages of the disease, and the symptoms of gallbladder cancer, when present, are like the symptoms of many other illnesses.
Gallbladder cancer is sometimes found when the gallbladder is removed for other reasons. Individuals with gallstones rarely develop gallbladder cancer. Tests that examine the gallbladder and nearby organs are used to detect, diagnose, and stage gallbladder cancer. The following tests and procedures may be used:
- MRI
- MRA
- PTC
- CT scan.
- Endoscopy
- Chest x-ray.
- Ultrasound exam.
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay.
- Biopsy and laparoscopy to remove the tumor.
- Physical exam and history to check for lumps.
- CA 19-9 assay to measure the level of CA 19-9 in the blood.
- Liver function tests that measure the amounts of substances released into the blood by the liver.
- Blood chemistry studies to measure the amounts of substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body.
Cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer can be cured only if it is found before it has spread, and they can be removed by surgery. Bile duct cancer (tumor) cannot be completely removed by surgery and is incurable. If cancer has spread, palliative treatment can improve the patient's quality of life by controlling the symptoms and complications of this disease. Cholangiocarcinoma generally causes progressive liver failure. Gallbladder cancer can invade the liver, disseminate into lymph nodes, or spread as intra-peritoneal metastases.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: Gallbladder cancer remains one of the silent killers of the digestive system - by the time most people develop noticeable symptoms like jaundice or abdominal pain, the disease has often progressed beyond the point of surgical cure. This sobering reality underscores why awareness and routine screening for at-risk populations matter far more than many people realize. As medical understanding of gallbladder cancer continues to evolve, particularly regarding its higher incidence in specific ethnic and demographic groups, accessible information sources like this one become increasingly vital for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers working together to catch and address the disease as early as possible - Disabled World (DW).
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.