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Aarav and Nishant were having ice cream when Aarav paused and asked, "Have you ever wondered how our body manages to digest all the food we eat? How does it all move and get processed inside?"
Nishant smiled and replied,
"Most people don’t think about it, but one unsung hero in our digestive system is the bile duct. It does carry something crucial: bile. It’s like a hidden kitchen pipeline in our body carrying digestive juice from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine to help break down fats.
The storage of fats, if it goes unnoticed for a long time, may lead to cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer."
"Let me explain it with a real-world example.”
What is the Bile Duct?
A pipeline drains all the water in your kitchen, so you don’t have to wipe it off manually. Like water flows through pipes from a tap, a fluid called bile flows from the liver through a small tube called the bile duct and into the small intestine. This bile helps your body digest fats from the food you eat.
Medically, the bile duct is a series of slender tubes that carry digestive juice called bile from the liver to the gallbladder.
What is the Significance of the Bile Duct for Overall Health?
You have fried French fries in the kitchen and want to dispose of the used cooking oil in the dishwasher sink. Here,
- The chef preparing oil is liver
- Kitchen pipeline that drains off used cooking oil is the bile duct
- The dishwashing sink that uses oil to clean greasy dishes that means digest fats is the small intestine.
What will Happen If My Bile Duct is Blocked?
You must have seen a clogged kitchen pipeline. What does it look like, and what kind of feeling does it give?
Disgusting, right?
Waste accumulates, there is a foul smell, and the sink stops working, making cleaning and cooking impossible.
Similarly, suppose our bile duct is blocked for any reason, such as a stone, inflammation, or a tumour. In that case, bile is stored in the liver, leading to liver damage, jaundice, and difficulty digesting.
What is Cholangiocarcinoma/Bile Duct Cancer?
We hardly notice clogging in the kitchen sink until waste accumulates or causes a blockage. Similarly, when the bile duct gets blocked due to stones, inflammation, or cancer, it disrupts the body’s ability to digest food properly.
A serious condition called bile duct cancer may be the reason for blockage in the body. It happens where abnormal cells grow inside the bile duct and form a cancer. It is called cholangiocarcinoma.
Cholangiocarcinoma Causes
The blockage causes chronic inflammation, which damages bile duct walls, just like constant moisture damages pipe walls. The damaged cells try to repair repeatedly, and the continuous and repeated cell turnover increases the risk of DNA mutations. Eventually, the mutations in those cells can lead to the growth of cancerous cells in the bile ducts.
Corrosion or mould in the pipe walls is like cancer in the bile duct.
Cholangiocarcinoma Types
The type of bile duct cancer or cholangiocarcinoma depends on the location of the tumour along the bile duct. Each type has a unique treatment process. Learn more about cholangiocarcinoma types below:
Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA)
To understand this type of cholangiocarcinoma, imagine a kitchen with a blockage deep within its walls where small pipes are embedded. Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma is cancer in the small bile ducts inside the liver. Here, the bile backs up slowly, and the symptoms appear later. It is often confused with liver cancer.
Location: Inside the liver.
Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA)
It is the most common type of bile duct cancer. Also called Klastskin Tumour, this cancer is at the hilum, where the right and left bile ducts exit the liver. Being the central junction, the rate of clogging is high.
When there is a blockage right under the kitchen sink, where the main kitchen pipes merge prior to going down the drain, it is called Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma.
Location: Where ducts leave the liver.
Distal Cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA)
It is a rare bile duct cancer that develops in the lower part of the extrahepatic bile duct system.
When the blockage is in the lower part of the kitchen pipe connecting to the larger plumbing system, it is called Distal Cholangiocarcinoma. Symptoms show up slowly, but wastewater still builds up.
Location: Near the intestine/pancreas
Cholangiocarcinoma Symptoms
Recognising bile duct cancer symptoms timely leads to earlier diagnosis and better treatment. Look below to see when one must consult a healthcare provider:
- Jaundice: Just like sink water turns yellow, our eyes or skin yellowing is called jaundice.
- Pale Stools: The patient experiences dark urine and pale stools due to blocked bile flow.
- Abdominal Pain: Like a blockage leading to slow drainage in the kitchen, our body experiences itchy skin or abdominal pain due to damage to the bile duct.
- Weight Loss: Fever, fatigue and weight loss are other symptoms of bile duct cancer.
Cholangiocarcinoma Treatment Process
Treatment of bile duct cancer depends on where the cancer has formed. Cholangiocarcinoma treatment primarily considers the overall health of the patient, the stage of cancer and age. Some of the treatment options are given below-
- Cleaning: Just like a drain cleaner or a snake tool is required to clear the pipe, doctors use bypass surgery or stents to open the blocked ducts.
- Removal of Damaged Section: You cut and replace the corroded part in the kitchen, and surgeons remove the affected bile duct segment through surgery.
- Stopping the Damage from Spreading: As we apply sealant on the treated pipeline, the doctors use radiation or chemotherapy to shrink or kill cancer cells in the bile duct.
- Full Kitchen Renovation: In advanced cases, the entire sink setup might need replacement; similarly, in rare cases, a liver transplant is suggested if the cancer is widespread.
How Can I Take Care of My Bile Duct
Ignoring signs of duct issues can lead to liver cancer. One usually neglects what our body is trying to tell us and suppresses the symptoms with short-term treatment. But it is essential to listen to your body. In this case, it takes you via developing changes in the body, such as yellowing of skin or eyes, pale stools, and unexplained weight loss.
The biggest challenge to bile duct health is bile duct stones, or gallstones. Having a gallstone in the bile duct can be intensely painful. Depending on the location of the stone, it can damage the digestive organs, the liver, or the pancreas. Take the following preventive measures to avoid bile duct stones and, eventually, bile duct cancer.
- Eat a lower-fat diet.
- Avoid crash diets.
- Stay hydrated to keep bile thin and flowing.
- Avoid alcohol and unnecessary medicines.
- Attain a moderate body weight.
- Add more fibre to your diet.
- Avoid extremely low-calorie diets.
The treatment cost of bile duct cancer is high, as it includes radiation therapy, immunotherapy, bypass surgery, etc. So, it is important to protect yourself not only physically, but financially too. A Cancer insurance policy provides a financial safety net that protects you during medical emergencies. With the right health coverage, patients and families can focus on treatment and recovery without the added stress of overwhelming bills.
>>Read More: What Are the Steps To Find Out The Best Health Insurance Plans for Cancer Patients?
Protect the Pipeline: Protect Your Health
The bile duct is like a hidden kitchen pipeline that only gets noticed when clogged. Nishant clarified that though bile duct disease is a rare disease, our everyday life choices influence our health in the long term. Caring for your biliary system is like maintaining the kitchen pipeline to avoid backups and clogs. Ignoring a slowly rotting kitchen pipe can cause water damage and mould; similarly, ignoring early signs of a bile leak can lead to havoc. Fixing it early, whether by cleaning, replacing, or sealing, can save the whole kitchen or in our case, the person.
Aarav now understands the importance and functions of the bile duct in our overall health. You can also share your experience or queries below.
Disclaimer: The above information is for reference purposes only. Kindly consult your general physician for verified medical advice. The health insurance benefits are subject to policy terms and conditions. Refer to your policy documents for more information.
