Localized Gallbladder Cancer
Unresectable Gallbladder Cancer
Recurrent Gallbladder Cancer

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Treatment of localized gallbladder cancer may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the gallbladder and some of the tissue around it. The liver and nearby lymph nodes may also be removed. Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy may follow surgery.
• Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy with radiosensitizers.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with localized gallbladder cancer.

Treatment of unresectable gallbladder cancer may include the following:

• Radiation therapy as palliative treatment, with or without surgery or the placement of stents, to relieve symptoms caused by blocked bile ducts.
• Surgery as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms caused by blocked bile ducts.
• Chemotherapy as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms caused by the cancer.
• A clinical trial of internal radiation therapy or radiosensitizers.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with unresectable gallbladder cancer.

Treatment of recurrent gallbladder cancer is usually done in a clinical trial.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent gallbladder cancer.

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