gallbladder cancer
Meaning of gallbladder cancer: Because early gallbladder cancer rarely causes noticeable symptoms, it is often identified only after the disease has already reached an advanced stage.
Definition of gallbladder cancer
Gallbladder cancer is cancer that develops within the tissue of the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ located beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile, a fluid produced by the liver that assists in digesting fat. Most gallbladder cancer arises from the glandular cells lining the inside of the gallbladder, making adenocarcinoma the most common type found.
Gallbladder cancer typically begins in the innermost lining of the organ and, as it grows, can spread through the deeper layers of the gallbladder wall and into nearby structures, including the liver, given the gallbladder's close attachment to it.
Because early gallbladder cancer often produces no noticeable symptoms, and symptoms that do occur, such as abdominal pain or jaundice, can resemble those of more common conditions such as gallstones, gallbladder cancer is frequently not identified until it has reached a more advanced stage, a factor that influences available treatment options.
Used in a sentence
Pathology review of the removed gallbladder unexpectedly revealed an early gallbladder cancer.
Good to know
Gallbladder cancer is frequently discovered incidentally during surgery performed for gallstones or another benign condition, since early symptoms so closely resemble those of far more common gallbladder problems.