HomeHealth TopicsDigestive SystemBile Duct Cancer
Back to Digestive System
Bile Duct Cancer
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Digestive System

Bile Duct Cancer

Bile duct cancer is a rare condition affecting the tubes that carry digestive bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine.

Overview

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 and helps the liver get rid of toxins and wastes.

Causes & Risk Factors

Bile duct cancer is rare. It can happen in the parts of the bile ducts that are outside or inside the liver, though cancer of the bile duct outside of the liver is much more common. Risk factors include:

  • Inflammation of the bile duct
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Some liver diseases

Symptoms

Symptoms can include:

  • Jaundice
  • Itchy skin
  • Fever
  • Abdominal pain

Diagnosis & Treatment

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bile contains bilirubin, a yellowish-brown pigment that is normally excreted into the intestines to give stool its typical brown color. When a tumor blocks the bile duct, bilirubin cannot reach the digestive tract, resulting in pale, clay-colored stools; the excess bilirubin builds up in the blood and is filtered by the kidneys, turning the urine dark amber or tea-colored.
The most significant risk factor is primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic inflammatory liver disease often linked with ulcerative colitis. Other risk factors include congenital choledochal cysts, chronic hepatitis B or C infection, cirrhosis, recurrent bile duct stones, and infection with liver flukes in certain geographic regions.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is frequently used. During this procedure, an endoscope is guided through the stomach into the small intestine to inject dye into the bile ducts for detailed imaging, collect tissue samples (biopsy), and place a plastic or metal stent across the tumor to keep the duct open and restore bile flow.
Surgical removal of the tumor offers the only potential cure for bile duct cancer, but it is only possible if the cancer is localized and has not spread to nearby major blood vessels, lymph nodes, or distant organs. Because bile duct cancer rarely causes symptoms in its early stages, many cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage where complete surgical resection is not feasible, making treatment focus on stenting, chemotherapy, and radiation to control symptoms and prolong life.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

kontakt@hittavard.se

Ⓒ 2024. Alla rättigheter förbehålls av juxt ab

Sök
Om ossVillkor och policyVanliga frågorKontakta oss