Cholangiocarcinoma: What You Need to Know

• Cholangiocarcinoma, also called bile duct cancer, occurs when a cancerous tumor grows in the bile ducts.
• Symptoms include jaundice and abdominal pain.
• Blood tests, imaging scans and endoscopic procedures are used to diagnosis cholangiocarcinoma.
• Surgery is the usual treatment for cholangiocarcinoma. Other treatment options are radiological therapy and endoscopic therapy.
• Phlebotomy is a special procedure that removes excess iron in the blood. It is used to treat hemochromatosis.

Bile duct cancer affects one in 100,000 people per year in the United States. Bile duct tumors are usually slow growing and treatment often depends on the location of the tumor.

Patient Resources

Learn more about bile duct cancer in our Health Library

Read a more in-depth article about bile duct cancer, written by Johns Hopkins gastroenterologists, which details the anatomical description of the causes of bile duct cancer.

Read our FAQs about bile duct cancer.