How terrible is bile duct cancer?

The gallbladder is an important organ in the body. It secretes bile to help digestion. Once you have bile duct cancer, it will affect the secretion of bile and you can't digest normally. Just think about it and you will know that it is very serious. Biliary duct cancer is a malignant tumor. Many people are already in the late stage of cancer when they are discovered, and after treatment, the prognosis is often not very good. So, how terrible is bile duct cancer?

Although the total number of cases of bile duct cancer is less than that of liver cancer, the early diagnosis rate of bile duct cancer is low, and most of them are in the middle and late stages when diagnosed. The surgical cure rate is low, and the 5-year survival rate is low. It is called the king of cancers.

Uncommon but dangerous

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant tumor that originates from epithelial cells and can be divided into the following types according to its anatomical location: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, hilar cholangiocarcinoma, and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma is not common, accounting for less than 2% of all cancers; however, the incidence is increasing worldwide. The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma ranks fifth among digestive tract malignancies in my country. The age of onset is mostly between 50 and 70 years old, and males are slightly more likely to be diagnosed than females. About 2/3 of cholangiocarcinomas are located in the hilar part of the liver. Hilar cholangiocarcinomas include the common hepatic duct, the confluence of the left and right hepatic ducts, and tumors of the left and right hepatic ducts. 1/4 are located in the distal bile duct, and the rest are intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas. Although cholangiocarcinoma is uncommon, it is highly malignant and has a very poor prognosis. Surgery is a means of curing cholangiocarcinoma, but the 5-year survival rate of patients after surgery is not high.

Eating raw fish, drinking alcohol, and hepatitis may be the cause

The causes and risk factors of cholangiocarcinoma are still unclear. The editor said that it is generally believed to be related to congenital biliary malformations (congenital common bile duct cysts, Caroli's disease, pancreaticobiliary duct abnormalities), bile duct stones, liver fluke infection, viral infection (hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus), autoimmune diseases (primary sclerosing cholangitis, chronic ulcerative colitis), carcinogens, lifestyle habits and biliary and intestinal surgery.

The above is an introduction to how terrible bile duct cancer is. I believe everyone has an understanding of the severity of the disease. Everyone must prevent the occurrence of the disease and strengthen health care in life.