A study published in Cancer Medicine examined U.S. gallbladder cancer rates from 1973 to 2009.
Rubayat Rahman, MD, of Columbia-based University of Missouri, and colleagues examined epidemiology, trend and survival rates for U.S. gallbladder cancer patients from 1973 to 2009.
Researchers examined 18,124 cases from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database.
Here's what you should know.
1. Gallbladder cancer made up 1.4 percent of all reported gastrointestinal cancers during this time period.
2. Gallbladder cancer was more common in females (71 percent) than males (29 percent).
3. Age-adjusted incidence rate was 1.4 per 100,000 and was significantly higher in females (1.7) than males (1.0).
4. Over the last three decades, incidence rate decreased in males. In females, incidence rate decreased from 1973 to the mid-90s but then stabilized.
5. Late stages cases have increased since 2001.
6. Survival rate has increased consistently. Female and Asian/Pacific Islanders have higher survival rates than males and other races.
7. Patients receiving both surgery and radiation had the highest survival rates.