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Cures for Bile Duct Cancer

The bile duct is a tube that connects the liver with the small intestine and is normally about four to five inches long. The purpose of the bile duct is to transfer fluid from the tube to the liver as well as to the gallbladder, where fluid moves further to the small intestine. Bile duct cancer begins in the bile duct and may be treated through a variety of methods. There is no cure for bile duct cancer.

  1. Symptoms

    • Bile duct cancer is normally not found in early stages because it produces very few symptoms. Those patients who do have symptoms often have jaundice, changes in stool color, loss of appetite, fever, itching, chills, and pain in the back or abdomen.

    Chemotherapy and Radiation

    • Chemotherapy and radiation are often used to treat different cancer forms. Chemotherapy works by killing the cells through the use of drugs injected or through oral therapy. Radiation therapy uses high levels of radiation to kill the cells and prevent them from growing. In some cases, chemotherapy and radiation can be implemented in a treatment plan prior to liver transplantation to improve the result.

    Transplants

    • Liver transplant may be offered as a method to treat bile duct cancer. The liver aids in vitamin digestion and helps to distribute the necessary nutrients, as well as purify the blood by removing toxins or other harmful substances. The bile duct transports the bile from the liver to the gallbladder and can provide a method of remission in the patient.

    Surgery

    • Bile duct cancer surgery is performed when the surgeon believes that all of the cancer should be able to be removed after making an assessment from imaging through a CT scan or MRI. The type of surgery will depend on the where the bile duct cancer is located. For some types of bile duct cancer, a part or an entire lobe of the liver will need to be removed. Depending on how far the bile duct cancer has spread, the liver should grow back and begin functioning normally. Other surgeries are more extensive, and can involve the removal of the liver, bile ducts, bladder, lymph nodes, pancreas and even the small intestine. Unfortunately, extensive bile duct surgeries carry a higher risk and the American Cancer Society states that about one in three patients have complications, such as problems with recovery from organ removal and problems with eating and digestion. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of bile duct cancer patients die from complications.

    Considerations

    • After bile duct cancer treatment, it is important to continue with regular follow-up care to discuss any symptoms, have blood work done or even follow-up imaging to check for the recurrence of cancer.

    Statistics

    • Fewer than 3,000 people are diagnosed with bile duct cancer in the United States each year. However, it is prevalent in Asia and Middle Eastern countries because of parasitic infections.

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