Early gall bladder cancer usually shows no symptoms.

For this reason, in the early stages, the cancer is usually only discovered when someone has an operation to remove the gall bladder because of gall stones or long-term bladder inflammation. The removed gall bladder is always examined to see if it contains cancerous cells. About one in five cases of gall bladder cancer are found this way.

In the later stages of the cancer, symptoms include:

• a sudden onset of pain in the upper right hand side of the abdomen (the belly or tummy), together with sickness and fever

• intermittent, persistent pain on the right-hand side of your abdomen, sometime together with sickness

• jaundice – the growing tumour often blocks the flow of bile into the intestine. Bile builds up and can not be removed. The blood’s waste red blood cells cannot be removed. This leads to jaundice, which makes the whites of the eyes and skin turn yellow

• a swollen gall-bladder

• feeling sick

• vomiting

• fever.

Occasionally there are only general symptoms such as:

• loss of appetite

• weight loss

• very rarely, bleeding from the bowel, or a blockage of the bowel.

Remember that these symptoms may be caused by other problems, not by cancer, but it is wise to see your GP if they persist. 

Related links
Obstructive jaundice and its treatment