What are the causes of bile duct cancer

Biliary duct cancer is now a disease with a certain incidence rate. The cause of the disease is unclear. Medically, it is believed that it is related to long-term stimulation of gallbladder inflammation or gallstones. Nowadays, people are afraid of cancer, but for diseases, we should understand its causes and prevent them in life. So, what are the causes of bile duct cancer?

1. Chronic inflammation and infection of the bile duct: Long-term chronic inflammation is the basis for the occurrence of bile duct cancer, because clinically found that diseases related to bile duct cancer can lead to chronic inflammation of the bile duct. Certain substances in the bile (such as metabolites of bile acid) stimulate the bile duct mucosa for a long time, leading to atypical hyperplasia of the epithelium.

2. Bile duct and gallbladder stones: 20% to 57% of bile duct cancer patients have gallstones, so it is believed that chronic stimulation from stones may be a carcinogenic factor.

3. Ulcerative colitis: It has been reported that the incidence of bile duct cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis is 10 times higher than that in the general population. The age of onset of bile duct cancer patients with ulcerative colitis is 20 to 30 years earlier than that of the general population, with an average age of 40 to 45 years. They often have a long history of colitis. Chronic bacteremia in the portal vein system of patients may be the cause of bile duct cancer and PSC. The lesions often affect the entire colon. Ulcerative colitis-induced bile duct cancer may be related to chronic portal vein bacteremia.

4. Cystic malformation of the bile duct (congenital bile duct dilatation): It has become a consensus that congenital bile duct cysts are prone to cancer. The incidence of bile duct cancer in patients with congenital bile duct cysts is as high as 2.5% to 28%. Patients with bile duct cysts develop cancer 20 to 30 years earlier than normal people. Although 75% of bile duct cysts show symptoms in infancy and childhood, as for the occurrence of bile duct cancer, 3/4 of patients have symptoms of bile duct cysts in adulthood. Regarding the mechanism of bile duct cysts leading to bile duct cancer, some people believe that when the opening of the pancreatic duct into the bile duct is abnormally high, pancreatic fluid will flow back into the bile duct and cause malignant changes in the bile duct epithelium. Other factors that may lead to malignant changes include bile stasis, stone formation, and chronic inflammation in the cyst cavity.

5. Liver fluke (Clorchis sinensis) infection: Clonorchis sinensis infection is also believed to be related to the occurrence of cholangiocarcinoma. Although Clonorchis sinensis mostly parasitizes in the intrahepatic bile duct, it can also parasitize in the extrahepatic bile duct. The worm itself and its metabolic products cause long-term stimulation to the bile duct mucosal epithelium, causing hyperplasia of the bile duct mucosa, tumor-like changes, and cancer.

As for the specific cause of bile duct cancer, everyone must know it now. Friends who have the above symptoms must pay attention to their bodies to avoid the occurrence of bile duct cancer. If bile duct cancer occurs, don’t be too obsessed. What you need to do is to face the disease positively. I wish you a speedy recovery.