Gall Bladder Cancer
What are the risk factors?
The cause of gall bladder cancer is not known in most cases, but risk factors can include:
- having had gallstones or inflammation of the gall bladder (although the majority of people with gallstones will never develop gall bladder cancer)
- family history of gall bladder cancer can result in a small increase in risk (first-degree relative such as mother, father, sibling or child). The majority of people with gall bladder cancer, however, will not have a family history
- other gall bladder and bile duct conditions and abnormalities, such as gall bladder polyps, choledochal cysts (bile-filled cysts) and calcified gall bladder (also known as porcelain gall bladder).
Featured resources
This information is reviewed by
This information was last reviewed February 2021 by the following expert content reviewers: Kathleen Boys, Consumer; Dr Julian Choi, HPB Surgeon, Western Health and Epworth Hospital, Vic; David Fry, Consumer; Dr Robert Gandy, Hepatobiliary Surgeon, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW; Yvonne King 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Elizabeth Lynch, Consumer; Dr Jenny Shannon, Medical Oncologist, Nepean Hospital Cancer Centre, NSW.