Gallbladder Cancer
Cancer of the gallbladder — the organ where bile is concentrated and stored to help the liver digest fats — is very rare. Gallbladder cancer is difficult to detect early because symptoms typically don't develop until the cancer has grown significantly.
Your gallbladder is located just beneath the liver, to the right of the abdomen: this small, pear-shaped organ stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. It is hard to diagnose gallbladder cancer because early symptoms are difficult to recognize. Another challenge is the location of the gallbladder — cancer can spread quickly without detection since it's located deep inside the body.
Catching gallbladder cancer early — before it has a chance to grow and spread — is crucial to successful treatment. Although there are no screening guidelines for this cancer, it can be detected during a patient’s annual physical exam. If blood tests reveal abnormal liver enzymes, positive results on follow-up tests — and ruling out other diseases — may indicate gallbladder cancer.
Surgery is often the primary treatment for gallbladder cancer. It can be curative for early-stage gallbladder cancer patients and improve survival outcomes and reduce discomfort for advanced gallbladder cancer patients. Other forms of treatment include radiation and drug therapies.
Our patients have access to gallbladder clinical trials, including new chemotherapy, targeted and hormone therapies, surgical techniques, radiation approaches, and prevention strategies.
At City of Hope, we offer access to experimental treatments designed to improve survival rates and enhance quality of life. Many of these new therapies are not always available elsewhere.
Our supportive care continues long after treatment is complete. At City of Hope we have an unmatched reputation for coordinated, compassionate care.
Our Expertise
City of Hope is one of the few facilities designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
Our developments in the areas of breakthrough cancer drugs, bone marrow transplants and CAR T cell therapy are recognized internationally.
Our leadership in research and innovation continually enhances our ability to provide novel and differentiated approaches to cancer care.
Gallbladder Cancer Care Team
Medical Oncologist
Gagandeep Brar, M.D. is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research.
Dani Castillo, M.D. is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research.
Vincent Chung, M.D., is a medical oncologist specializing in pancreatic cancer and gastrointestinal cancers.
Marwan G. Fakih, M.D., is a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers.
Radiation Oncologist
Yi-Jen Chen, M.D., Ph.D., is a radiation oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers, gynecological cancers and esophageal cancers.
Surgical Oncologist
Yuman Fong, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert in cancer of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts. He has led the research effort to employ genetically modified viruses to destroy cancer cells.
Laleh G. Melstrom, M.D., M.S., specializes in melanoma and pancreatic cancers.
Mustafa Raoof, M.D., M.S., is a surgical oncologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and in the Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics.
Internationally renowned liver and pancreas surgeon Gagandeep “Gaugs” Singh, M.D., F.A.C.S., is Chief of Surgical Oncology and Director of Surgical Services at City of Hope® Cancer Center Phoenix.
