ABSTRACT
Introduction Gallbladder adenocarcinoma is a treacherous entity. It produces symptoms late
in the course of the disease, disseminates rapidly from the primary site, and responds infrequently to nonsurgical therapy. The overall median survival for all patients is less than 6 months. The disease is up to five times more common in females. It is usually associated with gallstones, although few patients with gallstones actually develop gallbladder cancer. It is the most common biliary tract cancer and is the fifth leading gastrointestinal malignancy in the United States. Nevertheless, gall bladder adenocarcinoma is seldom encountered and, consequently, its diagnostic evaluation and management are not widely appreciated.
