Gallbladder cancer is a relatively uncommon cancer. If it is diagnosed early enough, it can be cured by removing the gallbladder. Most often it is found after symptoms such as abdominal pain and jaundice occur, and it has spread to other organs such as the liver.
It is a rare cancer that is still being studied and thought to be related to gallstones building up, which also can lead to calcification of the gallbladder, a condition known as Porcelain gallbladder. Porcelain gallbladder is also rare and most people with porcelain gallbladder also have gallbladder cancer. The connection is uncertain. The outlook is poor for recovery if the cancer is found after symptoms have started to occur.
Treatment:
The most common and most effective treatment is surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) with lymph node dissection. However, with gallbladder cancer's extremely poor prognosis, most will die by one year following the surgery. If surgery is not possible, endoscopic stenting of the biliary tree can reduce jaundice. Chemotherapy and radiation may also be used with surgery.