BILE DUCT CANCER The bile duct is a small tube that connects the small intestine to the liver and the gallbladder. The bile duct transports bile, a fluid made by the liver that assists the body in the digestion of fats, from the gallbladder to the small intestine. SYMPTOMS: In the early stages of bile duct cancer, symptoms are often mild or nonexistant.

As the disease progresses, bile duct cancer may cause the following symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Itching
• Yellowing (jaundice) of the skin

TREATMENT:

Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are all viable treatments for bile duct cancer depending on the stage and progression of the disease. When diagnosed in the early stages, bile duct cancer is most often treated with surgery or a combination of surgery and radiation therapy.

When diagnosed in the later stages, bile duct cancer is more difficult to treat. In these situations, a combonation of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy may be employed.

The Multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Oncology Center also has clinical trials available to the more complex bile duct cancer patients.