Treatment Options for Gallbladder Cancer

Gallbladder cancer is an uncommon disease that usually does not produce any symptoms at the early stages. To achieve the best outcomes, it is important to receive care from a specialist team that can provide aggressive surgical management combined with the appropriate radiation and drug therapies.

Gallbladder Cancer Overview

The gallbladder is a small, sack-like organ that lies under the liver. It is connected to the liver and the small intestine by the biliary tract. The gallbladder’s function is to store bile produced by the liver until the body needs it for digestion.

Only a few thousand cases of gallbladder cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year. Tumors typically originate in the inside layer of the gallbladder wall and spread outward. Cancers that spread beyond the gallbladder often metastasize to the liver.

Early gallbladder cancers usually do not produce any symptoms, and most gallbladder tumors are diagnosed after the organ has been removed for some other reason. (Gallbladder surgery should always be followed by a pathological examination of resected tissue.)

Larger tumors can obstruct the flow of bile, leading to the symptom of jaundice. Gallbladder tumors can also cause cholecystitis, inflammation of the gallbladder that can produce severe pain in the upper right abdomen. (However, it is important to keep in mind that the most common cause of cholecystitis is gallstones.)

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials offer patients access to new drugs and treatment approaches. For a complete list of clinical investigations currently available at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, see our clinical trials page.