What Are the Causes of Bile Duct Cancer?

Genetic research is opening doors to help physicians better understand how certain cancers develop. While much still needs to be learned about bile duct cancer, there are some pieces of advice that medical science can offer to possibly reduce the chances of contracting this disease.

Identification

The bile duct is a tube that runs from the liver to the intestines and carries bile to the intestines for digestion. Bile duct cancer is the development of tumors in that duct that can lead not only to cancer spreading to other parts of the body but also to obstruction of the bile duct itself. Some of the symptoms of bile duct cancer are jaundice or a yellowing of the skin, stomach cramps, abdominal pains and a loss of appetite that leads to significant weight loss.

Significance

The exact causes of bile duct cancer are still not well known, but scientists have been able to use recent advances in genetic research to help better understand what causes the tumors that make bile duct cancer grow. The condition is very rare; only approximately 2,000 cases per year are reported. Most, if not all, of the cases of bile duct cancer are found in patients between the ages of 50 and 70. It appears that people who contract bile duct cancer may be genetically predisposed to the condition, and this causes the growth of tumors later in life. The same genetic makeup that brings about other bile duct conditions, such as gallstones and choledochal cysts, is known to cause the growth of tumors in the bile duct.

Types

Various elements can lead to the development of tumors in the bile duct. These risk factors do not necessarily guarantee the development of bile duct cancer, but the appearance of any of these conditions can increase the possibility that cancer will develop. Cancer is generally an agitation of cells that causes the cells to reproduce at an accelerated rate; these risk factors of bile duct cancer can cause this sort of a reaction with the cells found in the bile duct. These factors include inflammation of the bile duct that causes scarring, inflammation of the large intestine, the presence of bile duct stones and a reverse flow of bile from the pancreas to the liver, which can prevent bile from being properly moved out of the liver and into the intestines.

Considerations

There is one activity that has been known to increase the possibility of contracting bile duct cancer, and that is the regular consumption of alcohol. Alcohol drinking can cause a condition known as cirrhosis of the liver, which causes scar tissue to form on the liver itself. There is a concern that cirrhosis increases the chance of contracting bile duct cancer because the scarring on the liver can agitate the cancerous cells found in the bile duct. Hepatitis can also cause similar scarring on the liver, and this can lead to bile duct cancer as well. In some cases, obesity has been targeted as a cause of bile duct cancer because obesity increases the likelihood that bile duct stones and gallstones will form. Obesity also changes the body's production of hormones, and this could be a cause of bile duct cancer.

Expert Insight

According to the American Cancer Society, there are several other factors that can contribute to the onset of bile duct cancer. These include smoking, asbestos exposure, diabetes and exposure to PCBs.