There are no specific findings for gall bladder cancer on physical examination. Even if the following are found, gall bladder cancer would still not be the prime suspect because it is so uncommon:
• Fever.
• Tender mass below the ribs on the right side of the abdomen.
• Enlarged, hard lymph nodes .
• Jaundice (the skin turning yellow).
• Swelling of the legs (edema).
Blood and Other Tests
Diagnostic tests are notoriously inaccurate in their ability to pinpoint gall bladder cancer before surgery. A standard evaluation, however, would include:
• A complete blood test, which may be normal or may reveal a decrease in hemoglobin (anemia). The white
blood cell count may be normal or increased.
• Liver function tests may be abnormal. The most likely abnormalities are in the serum bilirubin and alkaline
phosphatase, indicating a blockage in the bile duct leaving either the liver or the gall bladder.
• Prothrombin Time and Partial Thromboplastin Time (PT and PTT) are tests of clotting that may reveal a
disorder in patients with poor liver function related to a blocked bile duct.
