Overview

Gallbladder cancer occurs when normal cells in the gallbladder begin to change and grow uncontrollably, forming a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous, meaning it can spread to other parts of the body). Primary gallbladder cancer is cancer that starts in the gallbladder, as opposed to cancer that began somewhere else in the body and spread to the gallbladder.

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located just under the liver. The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid made by the liver that helps to digest fats. Bile is released from the gallbladder through a tube, called the common bile duct, as food is broken down in the stomach and intestines.

The gallbladder’s wall is made up of three main layers of tissue: the mucosa, which is the innermost layer and covers the wall of the gallbladder; the muscularis, the middle layer of smooth muscle; and the serosa, the outer layer. Primary gallbladder cancer begins in the inner layer and spreads into the outer layers as it grows.

Statistics

In 2009, an estimated 9,760 adults (4,320 men and 5,440 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with gallbladder and other biliary cancers. It is estimated that 3,370 deaths (1,250 men and 2,120 women) from these diseases will occur this year.

Cancer statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of cases of this type of cancer in the United States each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with gallbladder cancer.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society's publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2009.