Gallbladder Cancer, its Causes

Gallbladder cancer is a rare form of cancer caused by the buildup of gallstones in the gall bladder (Rosenthal, Zenilman, & Katlic, 2001). One of the common risk factors of gallbladder cancer is age. It mainly affects older people because of their reduced body immunity. This is evident from the small number of cases reported among people below the age of 70.Gallbladder Cancer, its Causes and Rates Coursework

Research has found out that gallstone disease is common among people with gallbladder cancer. Age escalates the progression of gallstones into gallbladder cancer because of the time it takes for symptoms of the latter to appear. Symptoms appear after the cancer has reached advanced stages, which could take a long time. According to medical experts, the risk of developing gallbladder cancer from gallstones is very high.

Patients with large gallstones are at a higher risk of cancer compared to those with small gallstones. Large gallstones grow over long periods, thus increase the risk of cancer for the elderly (Rosenthal, et. al, 2001). Old people are at higher risk because it takes longer for gallstones to enlarge and progress into gallbladder cancer. Moreover, cancer-causing mutations take time to occur and reach critical levels that cause gallbladder cancer.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES), 14.2 million women had gallstone disease in the United States in the year 2000 (Rosenthal, et. al, 2001). In addition, 6.3 million men had the disease. The rate of incidence of gallstone disease is 60% among American Indians. It has an incidence rate of 20% in northern Europe and 10% in Europe (Shaffer, 2006).Gallbladder Cancer, its Causes and Rates Coursework