Biliary cancer

There are two forms of biliary cancer which are closely related based on where the cancer originates, either in the gallbladder or the bile ducts (cholangiocarcinoma). These cancers can be difficult to diagnose due to the small initial size of the earliest imaging detectable lesions (~4mm in thickness), however there are good outcomes with early diagnosis. Unfortunately if diagnosed late, once symptomatic, outcomes are much poorer.Due to the subtle imaging changes that develop early on when asymptomatic and with normal blood tests, it is important to monitor the bile ducts routinely to see if or how they change over time, as the speed of this type of cancer development is unknown.