Can Gallbladder Cancer Be Prevented?

There's no known way to prevent most gallbladder cancers. Many of the known risk factors for gallbladder cancer, such as age, sex, ethnicity, and bile duct defects, are beyond our control. But there are things you can do that might help lower your risk.

Steps for a healthier lifestyle

Taking these steps helps maintain good health and might lower a person's risk of gallbladder cancer, as well as many other types of cancer:

• Get to and stay at a healthy weight
• Keep physically active and limit the time you spend sitting or lying down
• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and limit or avoid red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods
• It's best not to drink alcohol. If you do drink, have no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 per day for men.

To learn more, see the American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention.

Gallstone removal

Since gallstones are a major risk factor, removing the gallbladders of all people with gallstones might prevent many of these cancers. But gallstones are very common, and gallbladder cancer is quite rare, even in people with gallstones. Most doctors don’t recommend that people with gallstones have their gallbladder removed unless the stones are causing problems. This is because, in most cases, the possible risks and complications of surgery probably don’t outweigh the possible benefits. Still, some doctors might advise removing the gallbladder if long-standing gallstone disease has caused a porcelain gallbladder.