Gallbladder cancer is a cancer that starts in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ under the liver. Both the liver and the gallbladder are behind the right lower ribs. The gallbladder concentrates and stores bile, a fluid made in the liver.
Risk Factors
- Gallstones – most common factor.
- Porcelain gallbladder – a condition in which the wall of the gallbladder becomes covered with calcium deposits.
- Female gender – common in women.
- Obesity – more common in overweight people.
- Older age
- Abnormalities of the bile ducts
- Gallbladder polyps
- Industrial and environmental chemicals
Symptoms
- Abdominal (belly) pain.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Jaundice.
- Lumps in the belly.
- Loss of appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Swelling in the abdomen.
- Fever.
- Dark urine.
- Light colored or greasy stools.