Gallbladder Cancer

Gallbladder Cancer - A rare form of cancer that develops in tissues of the gallbladder (the small, pear-shaped organ below the liver where bile is stored after it is produced in the liver). Bile is released from the gallbladder through the common bile duct (a tube that connects the gallbladder and liver to the first part of the small intestine). Primary gallbladder cancer starts in the innermost layer of the gallbladder and spreads through the outer layers as it grows.

The majority of gallbladder cancers are adenocarcinomas. Often, gallbladder cancer is not detected until other problems with the gallbladder arise (such as gallstones). In the United States, gallbladder cancer is more common in women than in men by a ratio of 2:1.

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