Which department should I go to for bile duct cancer

Which department should bile duct cancer be treated in? Many older people seldom go to the hospital for treatment, so they don’t even know which department to go to for their illness. The various departments in the hospital are divided quite finely, and it would be troublesome if you don’t know. So today I will introduce to you which department you should go to for bile duct cancer.

First, let’s take a look at what bile duct cancer is:

Cholangiocarcinoma refers to a malignant tumor of the extrahepatic bile duct that originates from the confluence of the left and right hepatic ducts to the lower end of the common bile duct. The age of onset is mostly between 50 and 70 years old. Chronic inflammation of the bile duct and long-term chronic inflammatory stimulation caused by infection factors are the basis for the occurrence of cholangiocarcinoma. Among malignant tumors of the gallbladder, gallbladder cancer ranks first, and others include sarcoma, carcinoid, primary malignant melanoma, giant cell adenocarcinoma, etc. Clinically, surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other methods can be used, but the prognosis is poor.

Cholangiocarcinoma can be divided into three types: hilar cholangiocarcinoma or upper cholangiocarcinoma, middle cholangiocarcinoma, and lower cholangiocarcinoma. Primary cholangiocarcinoma is rare, accounting for 0.01% to 0.46% of ordinary autopsies, 2% of autopsies of tumor patients, and 0.3% to 1.8% of biliary surgery. In Europe and the United States, gallbladder cancer is 1.5 to 5 times that of cholangiocarcinoma, while Japanese data show that cholangiocarcinoma is more common than gallbladder cancer. The male-to-female ratio is about 1.5 to 3.0. The age of onset is mostly 50 to 70 years old, but it can also be seen in young people. Cholangiocarcinoma can occur in various parts of the extrahepatic bile duct, among which the proximal bile duct (hilar bile duct) is the most common, accounting for about 58%, the middle and distal bile ducts account for 13% and 18% respectively, and those that occur in the cystic duct account for 4%, and another 7% are diffuse.

Progressive obstructive jaundice is the main symptom of cholangiocarcinoma (80% to 90%). Other common symptoms include weight loss, emaciation, enlarged liver, and sometimes palpable enlarged gallbladder.

The main clinical manifestations are progressive jaundice, loss of appetite, weight loss, itching, etc. accompanied by upper abdominal discomfort. If combined with gallstones and biliary infection, there may be chills, fever, paroxysmal abdominal pain and dull pain. If the hepatic duct cancer is located on one side, it is often asymptomatic at first. When it affects the opening of the contralateral hepatic duct, obstructive jaundice will appear.

Through the above information, we know that bile duct cancer is actually a tumor, so you can just go to the oncology department.