Bile duct cancer is a type of liver cancer, in which malignant (cancerous) tumours grow in the bile ducts. It is also known as cholangiocarcinoma and is rare in the UK, only accounting for approximately 1% of cancers in the UK. The bile ducts are the tubes connecting the liver and gall bladder to the small intestine (small bowel). Bile is a fluid made by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. Its main function is to break down fats during their digestion in the small bowel. In people who have had their gall bladder removed, bile flows directly into the small intestine. The bile ducts and gall bladder are known as the biliary system.
The bile ducts transfer bile from the liver and gall bladder to the small intestine. Bile is a greenish-yellow digestive fluid produced by the liver that dissect the fat in the food we eat. Together the gall bladder and bile ducts are called the biliary system. Bile duct cancer is a malignant growth in the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the small intestine. Cancer of the bile duct is rare and is most prevalent in people ages 50 to 70. The tumor sometimes blocks the bile ducts, which can cause jaundice, clay-colored stools, itching, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, chills or abdominal and back pain.
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