Introduction

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that's located underneath the liver. It's main purpose is to store and concentrate bile.

Bile is a liquid produced by the liver that helps to digest fats. It passes from the liver through a series of channels (bile ducts) into the gallbladder, where it's stored.

Over time, bile becomes more concentrated, which makes it better at digesting fats. The gallbladder releases bile into the digestive system when it's needed.

The gallbladder is a useful but not essential organ, which can be safely removed without interfering with your ability to digest food.

Gallbladder cancer is very rare. Around 800 people in the UK are diagnosed with the condition each year.

There are a number of different types of gallbladder cancer, depending on the cells affected.

Over 85% of gallbladder cancers are adenocarcinoma, which means the Predictive genetic test for cancer risk genes started in the gland cells lining the gallbladder.

Cancer that starts in the skin-like cells that line the gallbladder is known as squamous cell cancer.

The Cancer Research UK website has more information about the different types of gallbladder cancer.

Cancer of the gallbladder is more common in women than men, with around 7 out of 10 cases diagnosed in women. It's also more common in older people, particularly those over 70 years of age.