Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer)Symptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer)
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare cancerous (malignant) growth in one of the ducts that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine.
Bile duct cancer
The exact cause of CCA isn't known. However, many of these tumors are already quite advanced by the time they are found.
CCA may start anywhere along the bile ducts. These tumors block off the bile ducts.
Both men and women are affected. Most people are between 50 and 75, although there is an increasing incidence in younger people, especially women.
People with the following health problems may have a higher chance of developing CCA:
- Bile duct (choledochal) cysts
- Chronic biliary and liver inflammation
- History of infection with a parasitic worm called a liver fluke
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Ulcerative colitis
- History of hepatitis B or C
Symptoms of CCA may include any of the following:
- Fever and chills
- Clay-colored stools and dark urine
- Itching
- Loss of appetite
- Pain in the upper right abdomen that may radiate to the back
- Weight loss
- Yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
The goal is to treat the cancer and the blockage it causes. When possible, surgery to remove the tumor is the treatment of choice and may result in a cure. Often the cancer has already spread locally or to another area of the body by the time it is diagnosed. In this situation, surgery to cure the cancer is not possible.
Chemotherapy or radiation may be given after surgery to decrease the risk of the cancer returning.
Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted treatments are also used if the cancer has advanced.
In select cases, a liver transplant can be tried.
Endoscopic therapy with stent placement can temporarily relieve blockages in the biliary ducts. This may also relieve jaundice when the tumor cannot be removed.
University Of Arizona Cancer Center
I enjoy traveling, dancing and food. Dr. Shroff is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). She is also highly rated in 11 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Pancreatectomy. Dr. Shroff is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine/Medical Oncology. Dr. Shroff is currently accepting new patients.
Shishir Maithel is a Surgical Oncologist practicing medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He has been practicing medicine for over 26 years. Dr. Maithel is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). He is also highly rated in 29 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Gallbladder Cancer, Gallbladder Disease, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Hepatectomy. Dr. Maithel is board certified in American Board Of Surgery - Surgery (Certified).
Skip Viragh Outpatient Cancer Center
Dr. Nilofer S. Azad is Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and serves as the Associate Cancer Center Director for Clinical Research for the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Dr. Azad earned her medical degree and completed a residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She then completed a fellowship in oncology and hematology at the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland where she served as chief fellow. Dr. Azad’s research focused on early phase drug development and the intersection of moving exciting laboratory findings into patients for new treatment options Dr. Azad joined the faculty at the Kimmel Cancer Center in 2008. Dr. Azad’s clinical expertise is in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, with a concentration in colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and pancreaticobiliary tract cancer. Her research efforts are dedicated to developing new drug combinations for patients with advanced cancer. In particular, Dr. Azad’s laboratory and clinical trials explore epigenetic therapy in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy to improve survival for patients, as well as molecularly targeted drugs. She is an active clinical trialist, leading multiple clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents for advanced cancer patients. Dr. Azad has received numerous grants for her work from entities such as the NCI (National Cancer Center), American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Research, Breakthrough Cancer Foundation, the Lustgarten Foundation, The Gateway Foundation, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, among others. She served as Principal for Johns Hopkins on the AACR Stand Up 2 Cancer Colorectal Cancer Dream Team and is a member of the Stand Up 2 Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team, leading the GI cancer initiatives for the group. Dr. Azad is a national leader in GI cancer, including serving as a member of the national NCI Colon Cancer Task Force and as Co-Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. She has a presidential appointment to the National Cancer Advisory Board. Dr. Azad is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). She is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Colorectal Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, and Colonoscopy. Dr. Azad is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.
Completely removing the tumor allows some people to survive with the possibility of complete cure.
The survival time varies greatly from several months to several years. The outlook depends on:
- The location of CCA
- The cell type of CCA
- The stage of the tumor
- The person's age and general health
- Whether surgery is an option
- The person's response to treatment
If the tumor cannot be completely removed, a cure is generally not possible. With treatment, about one half of affected people live a year, and about one half live longer, but only 10% of people live 5 years. You and your family may want to start thinking about end-of-life planning, such as:
- Palliative care
- Hospice care
- Advance care directives
- Health care agents
Complications of CCA include:
- Infection
- Liver failure
- Spread (metastasis) of tumor to other organs
Contact your provider if you have jaundice or other symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma.
Background: \- Recent advances in cancer research have led to new therapies to treat the disease. It is important to continue these advances and discover new ones. To do that, researchers need tissue samples from solid tumors. This study will collect such samples from people already scheduled to have a procedure at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (NIHCC).
Summary: The purpose of this study is to measure the efficacy and safety of rilvegostomig with gemcitabine plus cisplatin vs. durvalumab with gemcitabine plus cisplatin as first line treatment for patients with advanced BTC.
Published Date: May 01, 2026
Published By: Warren Brenner, MD, Oncologist, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Abou-Alfa GK, Jarnagin W, El Dika I, et al. Liver and bile duct cancer. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 77.
Fogel EL, Sherman S. Diseases of the gallbladder and bile ducts. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 141.
Ilyas SI, Gores GJ. Tumors of the bile ducts, gallbladder, and ampulla. In: Chung RT, Rubin DT, Wilcox CM, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 71.
National Cancer Institute website. Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) treatment (PDQ) -- health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/liver/hp/bile-duct-treatment-pdq. Updated March 28, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2026.