Gallbladder Cancer

Overview

At Mayo Clinic, gallbladder cancer patients receive coordinated care from a team of physicians and health care professionals who provide comprehensive diagnoses, compassionate treatment and detailed answers. Physicians typically involved include gastroenterologists, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists and pathologists. Patients and their family members can receive educational materials, follow-up recommendations and genetic testing.

Diagnosis

High-resolution imaging techniques available at Mayo Clinic enable physicians to effectively diagnose gallbladder cancer (ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound, computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] scans). Physicians at Mayo Clinic use fine-needle aspiration (FNA) to collect biopsy samples of gallbladder tissue. Read more about diagnosis of gallbladder cancer.

Treatment Options

Treatment includes the latest advances in surgical techniques, chemotherapy and radiation. Read more about gallbladder cancer treatment options.

• Treatment in Arizona
• Treatment in Florida
• Treatment in Minnesota

About Gallbladder Cancer

Located on the right side of the abdomen and shaped like a pear, the gallbladder stores bile, a fluid that helps digest fats. Cancer experts estimate that 7,000 cases of gallbladder cancer occur in the United States each year. Adenocarcinoma, which develops from cells in the wall of the gallbladder, is the most common form. In the early and most curable stages, patients usually lack symptoms. Gallbladder cancers may grow slowly, and most begin to cause symptoms after the cancer has moved to nearby organs or other sites in the body. In some cases the spread of cancer to other organs prevents surgical intervention.

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