Know about bile duct cancer. If you have symptoms like this, you should see a doctor immediately
Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant tumor that occurs in the bile ducts outside the liver, including the hepatic pedicle to the lower end of the large bile duct. Cholangiocarcinoma can be divided according to the location of the tumor into intrahepatic bile duct cancer and extrahepatic bile duct cancer. It occurs more in males than females. Most patients are 40 years old and above.
Causes of bile duct cancer
- Chronic cholangitis: Long-term chronic inflammation is the basis for the development of cholangiocarcinoma because any disease detected and associated with cholangiocarcinoma will cause chronic cholangitis.
- Bile duct or gallbladder stones: 20% – 57% of bile duct cancer patients will have bile duct or gallbladder stones. So it is seen that chronic inflammation of the gallbladder and bile ducts is a factor in causing cancer.
- Bile duct malformations (congenital biliary tract cysts): The presence of cysts in the bile duct since birth makes it easy to transform into cancerous cells. When the flow of the pancreatic and bile ducts is abnormal, fluid from the pancreas will flow back into the bile duct, which causes changes in the bile duct epithelium. This is an important cause of cancerous changes.
- Chinese liver fluke disease: Eating raw fish โปรโมชั่นพิเศษจาก UFABET สมัครตอนนี้ รับโบนัสทันที can cause liver fluke disease and infection of the biliary tract, bile retention, fibrosis around the bile duct and enlargement of the bile duct, etc. It is one of the causes of bile duct cancer.
Symptoms of bile duct cancer
- Yellow body and eyes caused by bile duct obstruction
- Abdominal pain: After eating, you may feel slight discomfort in the upper abdomen, or stabbing pain below the breastbone, or back pain, or squeezing pain in the upper right abdomen, which are symptoms of a nerve being affected by the cancer.
- Fever: The tumor blocks the bile duct, causing inflammation in the bile duct, resulting in fever. However, the incidence rate is quite low.
- Itchy skin all over the body
- Other symptoms: There will be associated symptoms such as loss of appetite, loss of fatty foods, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, etc.
Methods of Diagnosing Cholangiocarcinoma
- Laboratory tests: Check for abnormal liver function.
- Ultrasound examination of the liver and upper abdomen
- CT Scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI + MRCP): Can show the dilatation of the bile duct, the location and extent of the bile duct obstruction quite clearly. It can also show the anatomy of the bile duct and tumors accurately.
- ERCP: It can understand the entire condition of the biliary tract and can directly collect bile and cells released.
Treatment of bile duct cancer
- Treatment Doctors will consider various factors such as the size, location and characteristics of the cancer cells, the stage and spread of the cancer, and the overall health of the patient in order to plan the best and most appropriate treatment for each patient. Treatment of bile duct cancer is as follows:
- Tumor surgery is a standard treatment method that is effective and increases patient survival.
- Cholangiography In patients. Who are expected to have a tumor. That can surgically removed but at the time of surgery. It is found that the disease is too advanced to surgically remove, cholangiography should performed to treat itching and jaundice.
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is use. When the tumor cannot be surgically remove or the patient is not eligible for surgery.
- Chemotherapy/radiotherapy is use. When the cancer cannot completely removed by surgery or as a postoperative treatment to increase the chance of a cure.