Causes of GallBladder Cancer?

Gallbladder is an organ of the body found just below the liver. It is pear-shaped and stores bile, which is manufactured by the liver to digest fat. Bile is released from the gallbladder and passes through the bile duct into the small intestines to digest any fat.

The exact causes of gallbladder cancer are not known but a number of risk factors are associated with its occurrence.

Heredity: It is believed and it is common that those who come from families in which a  close relative has gallbladder cancer are at higher risk of getting the disease.  Porcelain gallbladder refers to a condition where calcium deposits build up on the inside of the bladder, increasing the risk of contracting gallbladder cancer.

Cigarette smoking and some industrial chemicals contain nitrosamines. These are capable of damaging DNA and increase the risk of developing gallbladder cancer.

Some people are born with abnormalities on their bile ducts. These may be outgrowths along the bile duct or an abnormality between the bile duct and the pancreas. Having this conditions increase the risk of developing gallbladder cancer.

Obesity: This is the deposition of excessive fat around the body, especially in the sub-cutaneous tissue. Being overweight causes changes in hormones in the body, particularly for women. It could be this change in the body’s hormone balance that increases the risk of gallbladder cancer.

Diet: A diet that is rich in carbohydrates and low in fibre may increase the risk of gallbladder cancer. It has been confirmed that a diet rich in vitamins E, A and C, which are antioxidants, greatly reduce the risk of contracting any cancer.

Typhoid fever: It has been noted that repeated infection of Typhoid fever by Typhoid bacteria increases the risk of contracting gallbladder cancer than those who have not been infected. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Using HRT increases the risk of getting gallstones, which eventually increases the risk of developing gallbladder cancer.

Gallstones and inflammation: These Two are the common risk factors of gallbladder cancer.  Having gallstones doubles the risk of developing gallbladder cancer. Here you can also see what is gallbladder cancer.