Biliary tract cancer
Biliary tract cancer: A summary of key information This summary is an overview of the key information provided within the biliary tract cancer guide. The following information will be discussed in detail in the main pages of the guide.
Introduction to biliary tract cancer • Biliary tract cancer includes bile duct cancer, gallbladder cancer and ampullary cancer. • Cancer of the bile ducts is called cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and is classified depending on which part of the bile duct the cancer develops in: -
Intrahepatic – affects bile ducts within the liver
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Hilar – occurs at the junction of the left and right hepatic ducts
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Extrahepatic – affects the common bile duct outside the liver
Liver
Common hepatic duct
Intrahepatic
Cystic duct Hilar Gallbladder
Common bile duct
Extrahepatic
Ampulla of Vater Duodenum
Anatomy of liver and bile ducts showing the classification of intrahepatic, hilar and extrahepatic CCA (Blechacz et al., 2011). Reprinted by permission from Springer Nature: Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Clinical diagnosis and staging of cholangiocarcinoma, Blechacz B, et al. COPYRIGHT 2011.
• Gallbladder cancer originates in the cells of the gallbladder. • Ampullary cancer develops in the ampulla of Vater, where bile ducts from the liver and pancreas join and enter the duodenum. • Biliary tract cancer is uncommon and accounts for less than 1% of all human cancers. There are some known risk factors for biliary tract cancer, but the exact causes are not known, and it often has no symptoms in its early stages.
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