Cancer of the bile duct is a rare but aggressive type of cancer. Symptoms of bile duct cancer include:
-
jaundice – yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
- clay-coloured stools (faeces)
- dark coloured urine
For more information, see Cancer of the bile duct - symptoms.
Cholangiocarcinoma is the medical term for bile duct cancer.
The bile duct
Bile is a fluid that the digestive system uses to help break down fats and digest foods. Bile is also a route through which the body can get rid of toxins. The bile duct system, or 'biliary' system, is made up of a series of tubes that begin in the liver, connect to the gallbladder and end in the small intestine.
The bile ducts help move bile from the liver into the gallbladder before it passes into the small intestine and is eventually passed out.
How common is bile duct cancer?
Bile duct cancer is a rare type of cancer. For every 100,000 people in the UK, there are one or two new cases of bile duct cancer every year. However, studies suggest that cases of bile duct cancers are increasing in most countries. The reasons for this are unknown.
Who is affected?
Most cases of bile duct cancer occur in people over 70. The condition is slightly more common in men than in women.
Risk factors for bile duct cancer include a rare type of chronic liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis, cirrhosis and the viral infections hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
However, in most cases there are no obvious reasons why the cancer developed. In parts of the Far East, particularly Thailand, bile duct cancer is approximately 100 times more common than in the West. This is thought to be due to chronic bile duct infection by liver worms, which are common in those areas but not a factor in the West.
Outlook
The outlook for bile duct cancer is poor. The condition can usually only be cured if cancerous cells are limited to the bile duct. If this is the case, some or all of the bile duct can be surgically removed.
However, only 1 in 10 cases of bile duct cancer are diagnosed at this stage and are suitable for surgery. The cancer does not cause symptoms when it is small. Most cases of bile duct cancer are only diagnosed after the cancer has spread beyond the bile duct, by which time a cure is not achievable.
Because of these difficulties, a person diagnosed with bile duct cancer will live for an average of two further years. Only 1 in 20 people will live more than five years after receiving a diagnosis.
Despite this, chemotherapy, endoscopy treatment and surgery can relieve a person’s symptoms and improve their quality of life. For more information, see Cancer of the bile duct - Treatment.
Last updated: 22 February 2012
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