Signs and Symptoms of Bile Duct Cancer

Bile duct cancer doesn’t usually cause signs or symptoms right away. But sometimes symptoms can appear sooner and lead to an early diagnosis. If the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment is more likely to be successful.

When bile duct cancer does cause symptoms, it's usually because a bile duct is blocked. Symptoms often depend on whether the cancer is in ducts inside the liver (intrahepatic) or in ducts outside the liver (extrahepatic).

Common symptoms of bile duct cancer

Not everyone with bile duct cancer notices the same symptoms. The symptoms a person has depends on where the cancer is and whether it's blocking a bile duct. Here's what to watch for.

Jaundice

Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. It happens when too much bilirubin builds up in the blood.

Bilirubin is a yellow substance made when the body breaks down old red blood cells. Normally, the liver takes bilirubin out of the blood and adds it to bile. Bile then flows through the bile ducts into the intestine and leaves the body in stool. If a bile duct cancer blocks this path, bile can't drain, and bilirubin backs up into the blood.

Jaundice is the most common symptom of bile duct cancer. But most of the time, jaundice isn't caused by cancer. It's more often caused by hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) or by a gallstone that has traveled to the bile duct and caused a blockage. If you have jaundice, see a doctor right away.

Itching

Too much bile acids in the skin are thought to cause itching. But the exact cause of itching when bile flow is blocked (cholestasis) isn't fully understood.

Light-colored or greasy stools

Bilirubin contributes to the brown color of stool. If bilirubin can’t move into your intestine because it is blocked inside the bile ducts, the color of your stool might be lighter.

If the cancer blocks the release of bile and pancreatic juices into your intestine, you might not be able to digest fatty foods. The undigested fat can also cause your stools to be unusually pale, bulky, and greasy, and they may float in the toilet.

Dark urine

When bile is blocked, bilirubin levels in the blood get higher. The bilirubin can also come out in the urine and make the urine dark.

Abdominal (belly) pain

Early bile duct cancers do not often cause pain. But bigger tumors may cause belly pain, especially below the ribs on the right side.

Loss of appetite and weight loss

People with bile duct cancer may not feel hungry. They may lose weight without trying to do so.

Fever

Some people with bile duct cancer develop fevers.

When to see a healthcare team

Keep in mind that bile duct cancer is rare. These symptoms are far more likely to be caused by something other than bile duct cancer.

There are far more common causes of belly pain than bile duct cancer. People with gallstones have many of these same symptoms. Also, hepatitis is a much more common cause of jaundice. Hepatitis is an inflamed liver most often caused by infection with a virus.

Still, if you have any of these problems, it’s important to see a doctor right away. They can help find the cause and treat it, if needed.