The bile ducts are organs responsible for transporting bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. Bile duct cancer causes blockage of the bile ducts.
Patients therefore develop jaundice along with various gastrointestinal symptoms. In Thailand, this disease is most common in the Northeast. Men are affected more often than women. Most bile duct cancers are diagnosed at a later stage, making treatment less effective and often leading to death.
Risk factors for bile duct cancer
- Liver fluke infection
- Chronic cholangitis (chronic bile duct inflammation)
- Bile duct stones
- Congenital bile duct malformations
- Exposure to carcinogens
- Smoking
- Family history of bile duct cancer
Symptoms of bile duct cancer
- Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
- Right upper abdominal pain, abdominal tightness, bloating
- Loss of appetite, weight loss
- Nausea, vomiting
- Generalized itching
- Pale stools
- Dark urine
- Low-grade fever, fatigue
Treatment for bile duct cancer
- Surgical removal of the tumor, or surgery to create a new bile drainage pathway when the tumor obstructs the bile duct and cannot be removed
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with stent placement to relieve bile duct obstruction when surgery is not feasible or the patient is not a surgical candidate
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy when complete surgical removal is not possible
