Gall bladder cancer can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages as it doesn’t usually cause symptoms. Sometimes, gall bladder cancer is found when the gall bladder is removed for another reason, such as gallstones. But most people who have surgery for gallstones do not have gall bladder cancer.
Gall bladder cancer is sometimes suspected when there is a large gall bladder polyp (greater than 1 cm) or a calcified gall bladder.
If symptoms do occur they can include:
- abdominal pain, often on the upper right side
- nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), causing dark urine (wee), pale bowel movements (poo) and severe itching without any visible skin rash
- general weakness or fatigue
- a lump in the abdomen
- unexplained weight loss
- fever.
Learn more about rare cancers like gall bladder cancer at Rare Cancers Australia.
→ READ MORE: Gall bladder diagnosis
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