Compared with lung cancer, gastric cancer and intestinal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma has a lower incidence rate, but it is highly malignant and has an extremely poor prognosis. It only takes a few months from the discovery of cholangiocarcinoma to death. Cholangiocarcinoma is no less dangerous than pancreatic cancer . Not only does it cause patients to suffer all kinds of pain and discomfort, but the cost of treatment is simply bottomless, and it even ends up costing both people and money.
How scary is cholangiocarcinoma?
The function of the bile duct is to transport bile, and its components are the cystic duct and common bile duct. Cholangiocarcinoma occurs in the bile duct system and is specifically divided into intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Although the incidence of cholangiocarcinoma is relatively low, the mortality rate is high.
With early scientific and standardized treatment of cholangiocarcinoma, surgical removal of cancer lesions, supplemented by radiotherapy or chemotherapy and other treatments, the 5-year survival rate can reach about 70%.
However, the early symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma are not obvious. The bile duct is located deep in the abdomen, making it difficult to identify cancer early. Generally, it has reached the mid-to-late stage when diagnosed, so the best time for surgery is missed, and the overall treatment effect is poor. Especially after cholangiocarcinoma metastasizes to distant organs and lymph nodes, it becomes more difficult to treat.
What are the early symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma?
. Abdominal pain
As the tumor gradually grows, it can occupy part of the space, causing discomfort and abdominal pain in the right upper abdomen. Sometimes a mass can be felt in the abdomen, accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and general fatigue. However, this symptom is not very typical and is often mistaken for digestive system disease.
However, there is a certain gap between the symptoms caused by digestive system diseases and cholangiocarcinoma. If it is cholecystitis, symptoms usually occur after eating fatty, sweet and greasy food; if it is duodenitis, the above symptoms are common after eating. ; If the above symptoms persist and occur without any pattern at all, you need to seek medical attention immediately.
, jaundice
Jaundice is common in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The growth of the tumor can cause bile duct obstruction, which hinders the secretion and release of bile, leading to jaundice, which is mainly manifested by yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin, and discoloration of mucous membranes and urine. yellow. As cholangiocarcinoma further worsens, the symptoms of jaundice will become more and more prominent. The level of , bilirubin and in the serum will far exceed the maximum value. At the same time, light-colored stools, unexplained itching of the skin, and urine like strong tea will also appear.
3, Biliary tract bleeding
When the tumor grows to a certain extent, it can compress surrounding organs or nerves, and the tumor itself will ulcerate, causing biliary bleeding. The main manifestations are blood in the stool, vomiting blood and anemia. Blood in the stool is often mistaken for hemorrhoids , and further pathological examination is required to confirm the diagnosis.
4, Recurrent bile duct
Biliary tract obstruction caused by tumor compression, inducing acute suppurative cholangitis or biliary tract infection , which mainly manifests as unexplained fever, chills, pain in the right upper abdomen, confusion, and coma. Severe cases can be life-threatening.
Message from Doctors
So far, the cause of cholangiocarcinoma is not very clear, but its high-risk factors can be clarified, so we should actively treat bile duct stones , bile duct cystadenoma, bile duct adenoma, parasitic infection and other diseases . Maintain a regular diet, stay away from fatty, sweet, and greasy foods, and refuse to smoke or drink. Pay attention to dietary hygiene, cook food thoroughly, and avoid eating raw or semi-raw aquatic products. People at high risk of cholangiocarcinoma should go to the hospital regularly for relevant screening; if they have the above symptoms, they need to choose a regular hospital for treatment and cannot take chances.
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