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.
Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Clinic
R Kelley is an Oncologist practicing medicine in San Francisco, California. Dr. Kelley is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). She is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Liver Cancer, Fibrolamellar Carcinoma, Gallbladder Cancer, and Tissue Biopsy. Dr. Kelley is board certified in American Board Of Internal Med/Medical Oncology, Medical Oncology. Dr. Kelley is currently accepting new patients.
UVA Health Pancreatic Cancer Surgery Clinic
Todd Bauer is a Surgical Oncologist practicing medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Bauer is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). He is also highly rated in 36 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Pancreatic Cancer, Neuroendocrine Tumor, Hepatectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy. Dr. Bauer is currently accepting new patients.
Duke Cancer Center
Peter Allen is a General Surgeon and a Surgical Oncologist practicing medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Allen is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). He is also highly rated in 33 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Pancreatic Cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Familial Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatectomy, and Hepatectomy. Dr. Allen is board certified in American Board Of Surgery, General Surgery. Dr. Allen is currently accepting new patients.
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: This is a randomized, open label, single-center, phase 2, randomized controlled trial of sequential cytoreductive intervention versus standard of care therapy for patients with intervenable oligometastatic (stage IV) cancer of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract and undetectable ctDNA at the time of randomization after a three-month induction chemotherapy period.
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.