Bile Duct cancer

                           


  CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA

What is liver?

Are you all aware of the organ which is present inside human body named liver which plays major role in sustenance of a being.

Liver is the largest organ as well as largest gland of the body with the property of regeneration.


The liver is a large, reddish-brown organ that is located in the upper right part of your abdomen, below the diaphragm and on top of your stomach, right kidney, and intestines. It's the largest organ inside your body, weighing about 3 pounds in adults.


The liver is essential for many bodily functions, including:



Filtering blood: The liver removes toxins, waste products, and excess hormones from your blood.

Producing bile: Bile is a fluid that helps break down fats in your small intestine so your body can absorb them.

Storing nutrients: The liver stores vitamins, minerals, and sugar (glucose) for your body to use later.

Making proteins: The liver produces many proteins, including some that help blood clot and fight infection.

Regulating blood sugar: The liver helps keep your blood sugar level stable.      

In order to facilitate the easy distribution of the products produced by the liver and gallbladder and the formation of byproducts that are vital to our body, these tasks are carried out via a widely distributed network of ducts and tubes.

These are known as bile ducts, and they are made up of three branches that each serve a specific purpose:


The common bile duct, the right hepatic duct, and the left hepatic duct.

 

The name "bile duct" comes from the bile juice that the gallbladder secretes, which is what our body uses to metabolise lipids (fats).

This background knowledge will aid in your comprehension of the upcoming section on bile duct cancer.

Although rare, the disease nonetheless occurs, and when it does, malignant cells enter the bile duct and interfere with its normal function, causing the disease to spread to the liver.

 

.


Types of bile duct cancer

There are two types of bile duct cancer:

  • Intrahepatic bile duct cancer: This type of cancer forms in the bile ducts inside the liver. Only a small number of bile duct cancers are intrahepatic. Intrahepatic bile duct cancers are also called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma's.
  • Extrahepatic bile duct cancer: This type of cancer forms in the bile ducts outside the liver. The two types of extrahepatic bile duct cancer are perihilar bile duct cancer and distal bile duct cancer:
    • Perihilar bile duct cancer: This type of cancer is found in the area where the right and left bile ducts exit the liver and join to form the common hepatic duct. Perihilar bile duct cancer is also called a Klatskin tumor or perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.
    • Distal bile duct cancer: This type of cancer is found in the area where the ducts from the liver and gallbladder join to form the common bile duct. The common bile duct passes through the pancreas and ends in the small intestine. Distal bile duct cancer is also called extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

    Signs and symptoms of bile duct cancer

    These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by bile duct cancer or by other conditions. Check with your doctor if you have any of the following:

  1. jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
  2. dark urine
  3. clay colored stool
  4. pain in the abdomen
  5. fever
  6. Itchy skin
  7. Nausea and vomiting
  8. Weight loss for an unknown reason

  • Surgery 

    Treatment options for bile duct carcinoma include the following surgical procedures:

    The surgical treatment known as a partial hepatectomy involves the removal of the portion of the liver containing the malignancy.



    The pancreatic head, the gallbladder, a portion of the stomach, a portion of the small intestine, and the bile duct are removed during the Whipple procedure.
    To improve quality of life and reduce symptoms brought on by a clogged bile duct, palliative surgery can be performed as follows: 

      • Biliary bypass: A biliary bypass may be necessary if cancer is obstructing the bile duct and causing bile to accumulate in the gallbladder.
        Endoscopic stent placement: Surgery may be necessary to insert a stent—a thin, flexible tube—to drain accumulated bile in the area if the tumour is obstructing the bile duct.
        The purpose of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is to take x-rays of the liver and bile ducts. A tiny needle is put into the liver through the skin beneath the ribcage.

      •  

        Radiation treatment
        High-energy x-rays and other radiation therapies are used in radiation therapy to either kill or stop the growth of cancer cells.

        Hyperthermia therapy: High temperatures are applied to body tissue in order to increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to the effects of anti-cancer drugs.
      • Radiosensitizers: These medications increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation treatment. Radiosensitizers and radiation therapy together may destroy more cancer cells.
      • Internal radiation therapy involves inserting needles, seeds, wires, or catheters directly into or close to the bile duct, sealed with radioactive material.

        • Chemotherapy

          Chemotherapy employs medications to either kill or prevent the division of cancer cells in order to stop their growth. Chemotherapy is used to treat bile duct cancer in two basic ways.

          Systemic chemotherapy:           Chemotherapy medications enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells all over the body whether they are given orally or injected into a vein or muscle.
          Bile duct cancer that is incurable, metastatic, or recurring is treated with systemic chemotherapy. The following medications are options for chemotherapy:

        •  
          *cisplatin with gemcitabine

        •  
          *oxaliplatin and capecitabine (XELOX) 

        • *oxaliplatin and gemcitabine (GEMOX) 

        • *oxaliplatin and capecitabine

        • Chemotherapy in a region: Chemotherapy mostly targets cancer cells in organs or body cavities like the abdomen when it is injected directly into those regions. 





Disclaimer:- Do not let your health deteriorate and consult your physician immediately.
References- National Cancer Institute (cancer.gov)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unexplained Hair Loss

Image
                                   USEFUL BUT IGNORED REASONS Hi! whenever I scroll down the social media platforms , I usually find various "effective" hair products that can benefit you in several ways like:- hair fall control, dandruff control, early graying of hair etc. But for what reason that I do not understand is how to decide if these products will be beneficial to oneself or not? It can only be decided if we are fully aware about the cause that is leading to such conditions.  Let me give you an example! I hope everyone will be able to relate with that because I am going to consider the recent Corona pandemic that we all went through globally. But if noticed that we were only able to combat that deadly situation after proper research and establishing the target . After that the results were promising. Now consider the major problem of hair fall among men and women. I hear people talki...
Read more

Is It Just a Cold? Understanding Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV)

It's that time of year again – sniffles, coughs, and that general feeling of being under the weather. While we often blame the common cold or flu, there's another respiratory virus making the rounds: Human Metapneumovirus, or HMPV. HMPV stands for Human Metapneumovirus. It's a common respiratory virus that can cause infections in the nose, throat, and lungs.  Symptoms 1. Cough: This is often a prominent symptom, which can be dry or produce mucus. 2. Fever: You might experience a mild to high fever. 3. Runny or stuffy nose: This can involve nasal congestion, discharge, and sneezing. 4.Sore throat: You might feel scratchy or irritated. 5.Wheezing: This is a high-pitched whistling sound during breathing, often more noticeable in young children. 6.Shortness of breath: This can range from mild difficulty breathing to more severe cases requiring hospitalization. HMPV symptoms can be very similar to those of other respiratory illnesses like the common cold, flu, and RSV. This can ...
Read more

Alice in the wonderland Syndrome

Image
                ALICE IN THE WONDERLAND SYNDROME  We have all read and heard about this fictional story and journey from innocent childhood to youth and finally into adulthood , but nobody could have imagined that the dreams of that young girl could become a nightmare for some ailing people and become a full blown syndrome. Today I will introduce you to the condition called “Alice in the wonderland Syndrome “. Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) is a neurological condition that causes distorted perceptions of the body and the environment. People experiencing AIWS may feel like their body is growing or shrinking, or that objects around them are changing size. Causes: Migraines: AIWS is often associated with migraines. Medications: Certain medications, such as antidepressants and antihistamines, can trigger AIWS. Underlying medical conditions: Viral infections, epilepsy, and tumors can also cause AIWS. Substance abuse: Drugs and alco...
Read more