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Bile duct cancer - or cholangiocarcinoma - is the second-most common cause of bile duct obstruction after gallstones. Most bile duct cancers come from cancers that originated in the pancreas. No one cause has been clearly demonstrated. The most common symptoms of bile duct cancer include jaundice and itching (the most common signs), abdominal pain, poor appetite, bloating, weight loss, fever, nausea, or an enlarging abdominal mass. There are no signs or symptoms unique to bile duct cancer; even if the findings associated with bile duct cancer are present, other explanations - such as gallstones - are far more likely. Symptoms generally develop slowly and are often subtle. Even when tumor shrinkage occurs, patients may not be better off as the tumor ultimately regrows and treatment has side-effects.
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