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| Bile duct cancer tends to spread into the liver, along the bile duct surface and through the lymph system to lymph nodes in the region of the liver. Ultimately, other lymph nodes as well as other organs within the abdomen may become involved. Incidence; Causes & Development; Risk Factors Bile duct cancers are quite rare, affecting some 16,600 people in the United States per year at the time of writing. The cause is unknown. People with chronic inflammatory processes such as ulcerative colitis or parasitic infections of the bile ducts, or with congenital abnormalities of the bile ducts are at higher risk for developing this cancer. Signs & Symptoms The most common symptoms of bile duct cancer include jaundice and itching (the most common signs), abdominal pain, poor appetite, bloating, weight loss, fever, nausea, or an enlarging abdominal mass. If the cancer cannot be entirely removed, the principal goals of therapy become the relief of symptoms caused by the accumulation of bile, and relief from pain. If the tumor is fairly small, it may be treated with radiation without much damage to the surrounding liver. It may also apply to patients with small or microscopic deposits of tumor following surgery. Prognosis Studies have not shown that chemotherapy prolongs survival. |
| Cancer, General |