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 older than 65.
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 parasitic worms, liver flukes
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Ulcerative colitis
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. As a result, surgery to cure the cancer is not possible.
Chemotherapy or radiation may be given after surgery to decrease the risk of the cancer returning.
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). Her top areas of expertise are Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Pancreatic Cancer, Gallbladder Cancer, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Pancreatectomy.
Shishir Maithel is a Surgical Oncologist in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Maithel has been practicing medicine for over 26 years and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). His top areas of expertise are Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Gallbladder Cancer, Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Hepatectomy.
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). Her top areas of expertise are Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Colorectal Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, and Colonoscopy.
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. 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 rarely beyond 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.
Summary: This phase II trial tests how well giving durvalumab with standard chemotherapy, gemcitabine and cisplatin, before surgery works in treating patients with high risk liver cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) that can be removed by surgery (resectable). Durvalumab is a monoclonal antibody that may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs, such as gemcitabine and cispl...
Summary: This first-in-human (FIH) trial is designed to assess the safety, feasibility, and potential activity of a single intravenous (IV) dose of SynKIR-110 administered to subjects with mesothelin-expressing advanced ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and cholangiocarcinoma.
Published Date: June 17, 2024
Published By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, 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.
Gibson RN, Sutherland TR. The biliary system. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 24.
Koea JB. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. In: Jarnagin WR, ed. Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 50.
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, 2024. Accessed December 2, 2024.
Rizvi SH, Gores GJ. Tumors of the bile ducts, gallbladder, and ampulla. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 69.