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Approximately five thousand cases of gallbladder cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States. Most of these cases are found incidentally while a person is being examined for potential gallstones. Gallbladder cancer has a very poor prognosis, typically because the symptoms tend to be very vague and nonspecific. In addition the gallbladder is anatomically difficult to access surgically, making surgical interventions problematic. These factors often delay the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer until it is relatively advanced and make treatments more difficult.

The gallbladder is a three- to four-inch long, pear-shaped organ situated beneath the liver. It stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver, until needed by the digestive system.

The gallbladder is a small, pear shaped organ, situated just underneath and behind the liver. It aids in food digestion and stores bile. The liver makes bile, which, when secreted from the gallbladder helps break down fat from foods you eat. The most common cause of gallbladder problems is gallstones.