About 2,000 to 3,000 people in the United States develop bile duct cancer each year. Bile duct cancer is much more common in Asia and the Middle East, mostly because of a common parasitic infection of the bile duct.

Bile duct cancer can occur at younger ages, but it is seen mainly in older people. The average age at the time of diagnosis is 73. More than 2 out of 3 people with gallbladder cancer are older than age 65 when it is found.

The chances of survival for patients with bile duct cancer depend to a large extent on its location and how advanced it is when it is found. For survival statistics, see the section, "How is bile duct cancer staged?"