During a physical exam, your doctor may be able to feel that you have a large liver and gallbladder. Your doctor may want you to have blood tests. However, gallbladder cancer is difficult to diagnose. It is usually found unexpectedly during surgery to remove gallstones. Most people who have gallbladder cancer also have gallstones.
Gallstones are most common in older women, but gallbladder cancer is more common in men.
If the tumor is only in the lining of the gallbladder, you need a cholecystectomy, surgery to remove the gallbladder. If the tumor has spread, you need a radical resection. In a radical resection, your doctor removes the gallbladder in addition to lymph nodes in the area and the rim of the liver. The surgery helps to decrease symptoms caused by the backup of bile. If you have a tumor that is only in the lining of the gallbladder, you have a good chance of cure with surgery to remove the gallbladder.