Live Life Team
Liver produces bile. The bile is greenish-yellow in colour. This is used in the digestive system for breaking down the fat of the food we take. The bile duct transports it to the gall bladder. The gall bladder and the bile duct comprise the biliary system. The small intestine received bile from the gall bladder. If the bile duct has malignant tumours, it is called bile duct cancer. This is very rare in UK. The medical name for bile duct cancer is cholangiocarcinoma. The bile duct affected with cancer does not allow bile to flow into the small intestine. The intrahepatic cancer originates in the liver. The treatment for liver cancer and the intrahepatic cancer are almost same. When the growth of tumour is outside the liver, it is known as extrahepatic.
What causes this bile duct cancer
Most commonly, this happens when the bowel has inflammation. The conditions include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The bile duct having infection and inflammation may lead to bile duct cancer. In this condition, the bowels may or may not have inflammation. A benign tumour in the bile duct can also develop into a malignant tumour. This cancer occurs more commonly in the people of ages sixty to seventy, than in the people of other age groups.
The exact causes of this cancer are still unknown. However, there are no supporting facts that this is inherited.
What are the symptoms of bile duct cancer
This has no symptoms in the initial stages. The first symptom is jaundice. The white portion of the eye looks yellowish. The skin also appears yellow. When the bile produced by the liver is blocked at the bile duct due to growth of tumour, the bile collects inside, resulting in jaundice. The symptoms may also include high temperature, itching, weakness, stomach pain, poor appetite, dark coloured urine and stools in pale colour. As jaundice can happen due to some other reasons also, you should visit your doctor for knowing the root cause.
How bile duct cancer is diagnosed
The physician does the physical examination first and then proceeds with x-rays or scanning tests. CT scan, ultrasound scan and MRI scan test help detailed examination. The doctor identifies the tumour with the above tests and he comes to know about the size of the tumour. Doctors use a contrast media such as dye. They inject it into the bile duct and take x-rays. They may ask you to undergo angiogram, PCT or ERCP tests which can give a clear picture of the bile duct. Laparatomy is a very convenient test for examining the internal organs. The surgeon makes a small cut in the abdomen to gain access to the internal parts of the stomach.
Biopsy sample of the bile duct is examined with the help of a microscope to confirm the nature and severity of the tumour.
How bile duct cancer is treated
The treatment depends on many factors including the age and health profile of the person. The treatment differs with the location, size and severity of the tumour. Small tumours can be surgically removed together with the affection portion of the bile duct. The remaining portion of this duct can be connected to the intestine for the bile to flow freely.
Chemotherapy or radiotherapy or the combination of both, can destroy the cancerous tissues in the duct. Surgery may not be a solution if the cancer spreads to other parts. By-pass surgery helps flow of bile in case the bile is completely blocked. Photodynamic therapy reduces the level of blockage and enables flow of the bile. This can be repeated, if needed. The surgery may involve removal of pancreas if the cancer has affected that part too. The aim of the treatment usually is to retard the growth of cancer and to manage the symptoms.
