Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology

Patient and Family Education

Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer

Symptoms

The symptoms of extrahepatic bile duct cancer include yellowing of the skin (jaundice), pain in the abdomen, fever, and itching. A person who has any of these symptoms, should see a doctor.

The doctor may order any of a number of tests, including:

ultrasound - a test that uses sound waves to find tumors
CT (computed tomographic) scan - a special type of x-ray that uses a computer to make a picture of the inside of the abdomen -- to look for signs of cancer
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - The patient might also need another special scan called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses magnetic waves to make a picture of the inside of the abdomen.

The doctor might want to perform a test called an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography). During this test, a flexible tube is put down the throat, through the stomach, and into the small intestine. The doctor looks through the tube and injects a dye into the drainage tube (duct) of the pancreas so that the area shows clearly on an x-ray.

Another type of test that can help find cancer of the extrahepatic bile duct is called an PTC (percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography). During this test, a thin needle is inserted into the liver through the patient's right side. Dye is injected through the needle into the bile duct in the liver so that blockages will show on x-rays.

If the doctor finds tissue that is not normal, he or she may remove a small amount of fluid or tissue from the bile duct and look at it under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This procedure is called a biopsy and is usually done during the PTC or ERCP.

Because it is sometimes difficult to tell whether a patient has cancer or another disease, surgery may be needed to look for cancer in the bile duct. If this is the case, the doctor will cut into the abdomen and look at the bile duct and the tissues around it. If he or she finds cancer and if it looks like it has not spread to other tissues, the doctor may remove the cancer or relieve blockages caused by the tumor.

The chance of recovery (prognosis) from extrahepatic bile duct cancer and the choice of treatment for the disease depend on the location of the cancer in the bile duct, the stage of the cancer (whether it is only in the bile duct or has spread to other places), and the patient's general health.

This page was last updated on: October 5, 2009.

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