How Serious Are Gallstones and Gallbladder Disease?
Most gallstones provoke no symptoms at all. One study reported that the risk of developing symptoms was 10% at five years, 15% at ten years, and only 18% at fifteen years, with no deaths reported. Asymptomatic gallstones seldom lead to problems. Death from gallstones is very rare, accounting for only 0.2% of annual deaths in the United States. Serious effects from gallstones are usually from stones in the bile duct or surgical complications. Gallbladder Cancer. Gallstones are present in about 80% of people with gallbladder cancer, which is responsible for about one-third to one-half of gallstone-related deaths. Gallbladder cancer is very rare, however, even among people with gallstones. Less than one percent of people with gallstones who do not have their gallbladders removed develop this cancer. People who have symptomatic gallstones, however, have four times the risk as those without symptoms. Whether gallstones themselves cause the cancer, or whether some factor in bile is responsib
