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About the bile duct
The bile duct is a 4-inch to 5-inch long tube that connects the liver
and gallbladder to the small intestine. The bile duct allows bile,
which is made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, to flow into
the small intestine. Bile is a liquid that helps to break down fats
found in foods and helps the body get rid of the waste material that is
filtered out of the bloodstream by the liver.
The bile duct starts in the liver. Within the liver, smaller tubes
(similar to small blood vessels) drain bile from the cells in the liver
into larger and larger branches, ending in a tube called the common bile
duct. Outside of the liver, the bile duct drains into the small
intestine. The gallbladder is a reservoir that holds bile until food
reaches the intestines. It is attached by a small duct, called the
cystic duct, to the common bile duct about one-third of the way down the
bile duct from the liver. The end of the bile duct empties into the
small intestine.
See illustrations of the bile duct.
Types of bile duct cancer
Cancer can occur in any part of the bile duct. For bile duct cancer, doctors look at the exact location of the tumor:
Extrahepatic. The part of the bile duct that is
outside of the liver is called extrahepatic. It is in this part of the
bile duct where cancer usually begins. A common site for bile duct
cancer is at the point where the right and left hepatic ducts join. A
tumor that starts in this area is also sometimes called a Klatskin's
tumor. The rest of the bile duct cancers that begin outside the liver
occur between where the right and left hepatic ducts meet and where the
bile duct empties into the small intestine.
Intrahepatic. About 5% to 10% of bile duct cancers are intrahepatic, or inside the liver.
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