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Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology

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Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer

What is Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer?

Extrahepatic bile duct cancer is a rare disease in which cancerous (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the extrahepatic bile duct. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with bile duct cancer each year. The bile duct is a tube that connects the liver and the gallbladder to the small intestine.

The part of the bile duct that is outside the liver is called the extrahepatic bile duct. A fluid called bile, which is made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, breaks down fats during digestion. When food is being broken down in the intestines, bile is released from the gallbladder through the bile duct into the first part of the small intestine.

This page was last updated on: August 31, 2010.

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