Getting diagnosed
Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:
need to be reliable at picking up cancers
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do
Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.
Read more about cancer screening
There is no screening programme for bile duct cancer in the UK at the moment because:
doctors wouldn't find many cancers because it's so rare in the UK
there is no suitable test to use for bile duct cancer screening
current tests have risks that outweigh the benefits for most people
the cost of screening would be high
With rare cancers, it is more cost effective to screen people who are thought to be at a higher risk. Talk to your GP if you think you are at a higher than average risk of bile duct cancer. If your doctor agrees that you are at a higher risk, they may be able to give you regular check ups.
Read more about the risks and causes of bile duct cancer
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare disease that causes inflammation of the bile ducts. People with PSC have an increased risk of developing bile duct cancer.
You have regular check ups and tests if you are diagnosed with PSC. Doctors can use these tests to look for signs of bile duct cancer.
Researchers are currently looking to see if a test called the Galleri blood test can detect some cancers. This is a test for people who don’t have symptoms. One of the cancers they are looking at is bile duct cancer. They hope this test can be used to screen for cancer in the future.
Last reviewed: 06 Jun 2024
Next review due: 06 Jun 2027
Bile duct cancer is when abnormal cells in the bile ducts divide in an uncontrolled way. It is also called cholangiocarcinoma.
Bile duct cancer symptoms may include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), itchy skin, dark urine and pale poo, high temperature and pain in your tummy (abdomen).
Your GP will ask about your symptoms. They might send you for some tests and scans and arrange for you to see a specialist.
Researchers are looking at the Galleri blood test as a way of picking up cancer at an early stage.
You might have a number of tests to check for bile duct cancer. This includes blood tests, scans and having a sample of tissue (biopsy) taken from your bile duct.
Bile duct cancer is also called cholangiocarcinoma. It is a rare type of cancer that develops in the small tubes that connect the liver and gallbladder to the small bowel.
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