Gallbladder Cancer Foundation
Strength, Resilience, Overcoming Adversity
Medical Disclaimer
The information provided on the Gallbladder Cancer Foundation website is for general information purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. The Gallbladder Cancer Foundation is not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any form of damages resulting from the use (or misuse) of information contained in or implied by the information on this site.
Our Mission
The Gallbladder Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides resources & support to patients & caregivers and raises funds to support gallbladder cancer research in order to develop more efficacious treatments with the hope of finding cures for this rare and aggressive cancer. Our organization will bring together patients, caregivers, volunteers, clinicians, researchers, and industry partners to work together towards the common goal of finding cures for gallbladder cancer.
Patients
Caregivers
Volunteers
Clinicians
Researchers
Industry
What is ?
Anatomy of the Pancreas, Liver and Gallbladder image provided by macrovector on Freepik
Gallbladder cancer is a rare and aggressive type of cancer of the gallbladder that is usually not diagnosed until advanced stages. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located beneath the liver that stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. Bile helps in digesting fats in the small intestine. You may also see gallbladder cancer referred to as a biliary tract cancer. Biliary tract cancers consist of ampulla of vater, cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), and gallbladder cancer.
Gallbladder cancer affects ~5,000 people in the United States annually and ~122,000 people worldwide annually.
To learn more about gallbladder cancer please visit our Newly Diagnosed page or click the Learn More button below.
Annual Cases (USA)
Cases Per 100,000 (USA)
Cases Worldwide
Percent Incidental Finding (USA)
Cases Per 100,000 (Women in Northeast India)
Cases Per 100,000 (Women in Valdivia, Chile)
Statistics
Gallbladder cancer is a rare cancer affecting ~5,000 patients a year in the USA and ~122,000 patients worldwide. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines rare cancers as cancer that occurs in fewer than 15 out of 100,000 people each year. In the USA the gallbladder cancer rate is 1.57 per 100,000.
The majority of gallbladder cancer cases (~66%) are incidental findings and tend to be at an advanced stage of disease. An incidental finding means that cancer was discovered during a test (imaging) or procedure (surgery) that was being performed for an unrelated reason or without suspicion of cancer. Patients with incidental cancer findings often have no noticeable symptoms at the time of detection.
According to the NCI rare cancers are often more difficult to prevent, diagnose, and treat than more common cancers. Because there are fewer cases, research is difficult as well.
In other parts of the world gallbladder cancer can also be more common, such as in women in Northeast India and Valdivia, Chile.
To learn more about gallbladder cancer epidemiology scroll down to watch a presentation given by Dr. Jill Koshiol, Ph.D.
To Know More
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution, patterns, and causes of health and disease in specific populations. To learn more about the epidemiology of gallbladder cancer please view the video below where Dr. Jill Koshiol, Ph.D, an epidemiologist from the National Institute of Health (NIH) / National Cancer Institute (NCI), shares her expertise.
Direct Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-E3FEogECQ
Patient Resources
Lotus Image Designed by Freepik
Support Groups
Part of the Gallbladder Cancer Foundation’s mission is to create a strong community and bring together gallbladder cancer patients and caregivers. Our organization has patient, caregiver, and bereaved virtual support groups available on alternating weekends. For more details on these virtual support groups and to sign up for a group session please visit our support group page by clicking below. Links to three (3) private Facebook support groups are also provided on the support group page.
Founded 2024
Launched February 2025
Lotus Symbol
The lotus flower is a spiritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism. It represents purity, hope, strength, resilience, enlightenment, and overcoming adversity. Each night the lotus closes its flowers and submerges into the muddy water. In the morning it miraculously re-blooms without residue on its petals. Like the lotus flower the Gallbladder Cancer Foundation hopes to emerge from the mud that is gallbladder cancer and give hope to patients.
Volunteer
Get Involved
A nonprofit is only as strong as the community it has supporting it and volunteers are a critical component of this community. If you’re passionate about gallbladder cancer and are interested in joining our organization please consider volunteering.
Volunteering Opportunities
- Fundraising
- Social Media
- Administration
- Support Groups
- IT
- Finance/Accounting
- Events
