Background: The exact survival rates and prognostic factors of gallbladder cancer are still incompletely known. Aim: To report the actuarial survival of patients with gallbladder cancer. Material and methods: Six hundred thirty seven women, aged 59 years old as a mean and 108 men, aged 64 years old as a mean, with gallbladder cancer are reported. Patients were followed for up to 150 months. Results: Two hundred twenty four patients had an early and 521 had an advanced carcinoma. Overall survival was 38% at ten years. Sex or ethnic origin did not influence survival. Early tumors had a 92% survival at 10 years whereas the survival of advanced tumors was 16% at 5 years. Subserous tumors had a 5 years survival of 32% whereas serous tumors had a 5 years survival of 11%. Well-differentiated advanced tumors had a significantly better survival than moderately or poorly differentiated tumors. Vascular or lymphatic infiltration was also associated to a lower survival. All patients with advanced tumors and vascular infiltration died before 5 years. Conclusions: Tumor infiltration and differentiation degree were the most important prognostic independent factors in gallbladder cancer (Rev Méd Chile 2002; 130: 387-395)