A pear-shaped organ, the gallbladder is about 2-3 inches long and sits to the right of the abdomen in the gallbladder fossa, a depression on the undersurface of the liver. The gallbladder is a storage center for bile produced in the liver. During digestion, bile drains from the gallbladder through the bile ducts and into the lower part of the intestine to aid in the breakdown of fats and lipids.
Gallbladder cancer is relatively rare—less than 1,000 cases of gallbladder and bile duct cancer are diagnosed each year. Although a risk factor (such as a history of gallstones) may affect your chances of getting this disease, the likelihood that one more of these factors will lead to cancer is rare.
An exact cause of gallbladder cancer is unknown. However, doctors believe that factors, including certain diseases and conditions causing inflammation of the gallbladder, may increase the risk of developing cancer.
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