Can Bile Duct Cancer Be Prevented?
There's no known way to prevent most bile duct cancers in the US. Many of the known risk factors for bile duct cancer, such as age, ethnicity, and bile duct abnormalities, are beyond our control. But there are things you can do that might help lower your risk.
Getting to and staying at a healthy weight is one important way a person may reduce their risk of bile duct cancer, as well as many other types of cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that people try to stay at a healthy weight throughout life by being active and eating a healthy diet, with a focus on plant foods. To learn more, see the American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention.
Other ways that people might be able to reduce their risk of bile duct cancer include:
- Get vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) to prevent infection with this virus and the cirrhosis it can cause.
- Take precautions to avoid blood-borne or sexually transmitted infections like HBV and other viruses (like hepatitis C virus) to help prevent cirrhosis.
- Treat hepatitis infections (such as B and C) to help prevent cirrhosis.
- Limit alcohol use.
- Quit (or don’t start) smoking.
- Protect yourself against exposure to certain chemicals (see Risk Factors for Bile Duct Cancer).
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and master's-prepared nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
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Petrick JL, Campbell PT, Koshiol J, et al. Tobacco, alcohol use and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: The Liver Cancer Pooling Project. Br J Cancer. 2018;118(7):1005-1012.
Last Medical Review: July 3, 2018 Last Revised: July 3, 2018
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