What are the causes of bile duct cancer

What are the causes of bile duct cancer? We all know that bile duct cancer is a very serious disease and the treatment is very troublesome. Some patients even put their lives in danger due to delayed treatment. However, many people do not know the causes of bile duct cancer. Let us learn about it together.

Causes of bile duct cancer:

Chronic inflammation and infection of the bile duct: Long-term chronic inflammation is the basis for the occurrence of bile duct cancer, because clinically found that diseases related to bile duct cancer can lead to chronic inflammation of the bile duct. Certain substances in the bile (such as the metabolites of bile acid) stimulate the bile duct mucosa for a long time, leading to atypical hyperplasia of the epithelium.

Liver fluke (Clorchis sinensis) infection: Clonorchis sinensis infection is also believed to be related to the occurrence of cholangiocarcinoma. Although Clonorchis sinensis mostly parasitizes the intrahepatic bile duct, it can also parasitize the extrahepatic bile duct. The worm itself and its metabolic products cause long-term stimulation to the bile duct mucosal epithelium, causing hyperplasia of the bile duct mucosa, tumor-like changes, and cancer.

Patients who have undergone biliary surgery, such as duodenal sphincterostomy or common choledochojejunostomy, are prone to bile duct cancer after surgery. This is mainly caused by the reflux of pancreatic and intestinal juices, bile stasis, stone formation and the stimulation of chronic inflammation.

There is a close relationship between bile duct cancer and hepatolithiasis. In areas where hepatolithiasis is common, the incidence of bile duct cancer is also increased. The reason may be that the chronic stimulation of gallstones and inflammation causes erosion, ulceration and shedding of the bile duct epithelium, epithelial cell hyperplasia, and finally cholangiocarcinoma; in addition, gallstones cause obstruction, poor bile excretion, and local increase in bile acid in the bile, which also has a carcinogenic effect.

Disease prevention:

The incidence of bile duct cancer is increasing year by year, and it is difficult to truly prevent bile duct cancer at the primary level. Diseases such as chronic stones in the biliary system, chronic bile duct infection, cystic dilatation of the bile duct, and primary sclerosing cholangitis are closely related to bile duct cancer. Patients are strongly recommended to undergo regular follow-up to achieve early detection and early treatment of tumors, so as to improve the prognosis of the disease.