Cholangiocarcinoma—Bile Duct Cancer

Also called: Cholangiocarcinoma

Your liver makes a digestive juice called bile. Your gallbladder stores it between meals. When you eat, your gallbladder pushes the bile into tubes called bile ducts. They carry the bile to your small intestine. The bile helps break down fat. It also helps the liver get rid of toxins and wastes.

Bile duct cancer is rare. It can happen in the parts of the bile ducts that are outside or inside the liver. Cancer of the bile duct outside of the liver is much more common. Risk factors include having inflammation of the bile duct, ulcerative colitis, and some liver diseases.

Symptoms can include

• Jaundice
• Itchy skin
• Fever
• Abdominal pain

Tests to diagnose bile duct cancer may include a physical exam, imaging tests of the liver and bile ducts, blood tests, and a biopsy.

Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

• Biliary stricture (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cholangiocarcinoma (Medical Encyclopedia)
• ERCP (Medical Encyclopedia)
• What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF

Cholangiocarcinoma is a group of cancers that begin in the bile ducts. Bile ducts are branched tubes that connect the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. They carry bile, which is a fluid that helps the body digest the fats in food. Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder before being released in the small intestine after a person eats.Cholangiocarcinoma is classified by its location in relation to the liver. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma begins in the small bile ducts within the liver. This is the least common form of the disease, accounting for less than 10 percent of all cases. Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (also known as a Klatskin tumor) begins in an area called the hilum, where two major bile ducts join and leave the liver. It is the most common form of the disease, accounting for more than half of all cases. The remaining cases are classified as distal cholangiocarcinomas, which begin in bile ducts outside the liver. The perihilar and distal forms of the disease, which both occur outside the liver, are sometimes grouped together and called extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.The three types of cholangiocarcinoma do not usually cause any symptoms in their early stages, and this cancer is usually not diagnosed until it has already spread beyond the bile ducts to other tissues. Symptoms often result when bile ducts become blocked by the tumor. The most common symptom is jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Other symptoms can include itching, dark-colored urine, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, abdominal pain, and light-colored and greasy stools. These symptoms are described as “nonspecific” because they can be features of many different diseases.Most people who develop cholangiocarcinoma are older than 65. Because this cancer is often not discovered until it has already spread, it can be challenging to treat effectively. Affected individuals can survive for several months to several years after diagnosis.