What is the most common type of gallbladder cancer?

Adenocarcinomas are the most common type of gallbladder cancer, accounting for the vast majority of cases. Gallbladder cancers primarily arise from the epithelial cells that line the gallbladder, and adenocarcinomas are tumors that originate in glandular tissues. This type of cancer typically develops in the setting of chronic inflammation of the gallbladder, particularly in conditions such as chronic cholecystitis or gallstones.

In contrast, the other types of cancers listed, such as squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and neuroendocrine tumors, are significantly less common in the gallbladder. Squamous cell carcinoma typically arises from squamous epithelial cells, which are not the dominant cell type in the gallbladder. Small cell carcinoma is a type of neuroendocrine tumor more frequently associated with lung cancer than with gallbladder cancer. Neuroendocrine tumors, while they can arise in various organs, are rare in the gallbladder and do not represent the prevalent form of gallbladder malignancy.

Understanding these distinctions highlights the prevalence of adenocarcinomas as the main form of gallbladder cancer and underlines the importance of recognizing tumor types when assessing gallbladder pathology.