Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month takes place in February and is sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research. Gallbladder cancer and bile duct cancer are relatively rare forms of cancer.

Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month educates the public that the gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ in the abdomen, below the liver. It collects and stores bile, a fluid made by the liver, to aid with digestion of fats. The bile ducts are thin tube-like vessels that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine.

An estimated 12,190 people living in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with gallbladder cancer in 2018, according to data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Extrahepatic bile duct cancer is a rare disease in which cancer cells form in the ducts that are outside the liver. Cancer can also develop in the bile ducts inside the liver. Bile duct cancer is also called cholangiocarcinoma.