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).