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Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancer of the bile ducts, which drain bile from the liver into the small intestine. Cholangiocarcinoma is a relatively rare adenocarcinoma, with an annual incidence of 1–2 cases per 100,000 in the Western world, but rates of cholangiocarcinoma have been rising worldwide over the past several decades. Prominent symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma include abnormal liver function tests, abdominal pain, jaundice, weight loss, and sometimes generalized itching, fever, or changes in stool or urine color. The disease is diagnosed through a combination of blood tests, imaging, endoscopy, and sometimes surgical exploration, though it commonly presents at Stage III or IV: too late to be resected surgically. Though most patients present without any risk factors evident, known risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma include primary sclerosing cholangitis, congenital liver malformations, infection with the parasitic liver flukes Opisthorchis viverrini or Clonorchis sinensis, and exposure to Thorotrast (thorium dioxide). Cholangiocarcinoma is considered to be an incurable and rapidly lethal disease unless all of its tumors can be fully resected. There is no potentially curative treatment except surgery, but unfortunately most patients have advanced and inoperable disease at the time of diagnosis. (more...)

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