How common is bile duct cancer?
Bile duct cancer is very rare. It accounts for just 3% of cancers that affect the digestive system. For every 100,000 people in the UK, there are an about one or two new cases of bile duct cancer every year. Most cases of bile duct cancer occur in people who are 70 years of age or over. Bile duct cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. Risk factors for bile duct cancer include a rare type of chronic liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSG) and viral hepatitis. Prognosis The prognosis for bile duct cancer is poor. Bile duct cancer can only be cured if cancerous cells are limited to the bile duct, in which case some, or all, of the bile duct can be surgically removed. However, most cases of bile duct cancer are only diagnosed after the cancer has spread beyond the bile duct by which time a cure in not usually achievable. Only 5% of people with bile duct cancer will survive for five years or more after receiving their initial diagnosis. However, even if a cur
