Can Bile Duct Cancer Be Found Early?
Only a small number of bile duct cancers are found before they have spread too far to be removed by surgery.
The bile ducts are deep inside the body, so small tumors can’t be seen or felt during routine physical exams. There are no blood tests or other tests that can reliably detect bile duct cancers early enough to be useful as screening tests. (Screening is testing for cancer in people without any symptoms.)
Because of this, most bile duct cancers are found only after the cancer has grown enough to cause signs or symptoms. The most common symptom is jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes) which is caused by a blocked bile duct.
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Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
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National Cancer Institute. Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma) Symptoms, Tests, Prognosis, and Stages (PDQ®)–Patient Version. May 24, 2024. Accessed at www.cancer.gov/types/liver/patient/about-bile-duct-cancer-pdq on August 19, 2024.
Patel T, Borad MJ. Carcinoma of the biliary tree. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015:715-735.
Razumilava N, Gores GJ. Cholangiocarcinoma. Lancet. 2014 Jun 21;383(9935):2168-79. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61903-0. Epub 2014 Feb 26. PMID: 24581682; PMCID: PMC4069226.
Last Revised: October 11, 2024
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