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People who died of Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma)
Cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer is a form of cancer that is composed of mutated epithelial cells (or cells showing characteristics of epithelial differentiation) that originate in the bile ducts which drain bile from the liver into the small intestine. Other biliary tract cancers include gallbladder cancer and cancer of the ampulla of Vater.
Different parts of the bile duct system have different names. In the liver it begins as many tiny tubes (called ductules) where bile collects from the liver cells. The ductules come together to form small ducts, which then merge into larger ducts and eventually the left and right hepatic ducts. All of these ducts within the liver are called intrahepatic bile ducts.
The left and right hepatic ducts exit from the liver and join to form the common hepatic duct in an area called the hilum. Lower down, the gallbladder (a small organ that stores bile) joins the common hepatic duct through a small duct called the cystic duct. The combined duct is called the common bile duct. The common bile duct passes through part of the pancreas before it joins with the pancreatic duct and empties into the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum) at the ampulla of Vater.
Cancers can develop in any part of the bile duct system and, based on their location, are classified into 3 types:
- Intrahepatic bile duct cancers
- Perihilar (also called hilar) bile duct cancers
- Distal bile duct cancers
Cholangiocarcinoma is a relatively rare neoplasm that is classified as an adenocarcinoma (a cancer that forms glands or secretes significant amounts of mucins). It has an annual incidence rate of 1–2 cases per 100,000 in the Western world, but rates of cholangiocarcinoma have been rising worldwide over the past few decades.
Cholangiocarcinoma is a relatively rare form of cancer; each year, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States, translating into an annual incidence of 1–2 cases per 100,000 people. Autopsy series have reported a prevalence of 0.01% to 0.46%. There is a higher prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in Asia, which has been attributed to endemic chronic parasitic infestation. The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma increases with age, and the disease is slightly more common in men than in women (possibly due to the higher rate of primary sclerosing cholangitis, a major risk factor, in men). The prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis may be as high as 30%, based on autopsy studies.
Multiple studies have documented a steady increase in the incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma over the past several decades; increases have been seen in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The reasons for the increasing occurrence of cholangiocarcinoma are unclear; improved diagnostic methods may be partially responsible, but the prevalence of potential risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma, such as HIV infection, has also been increasing during this time frame.
What Are the Key Statistics About Bile Duct Cancer?
Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) is not common. About 8,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with bile duct cancer each year. This includes both intrahepatic (inside the liver) and extrahepatic (outside the liver) bile duct cancers. But the actual number of cases is likely to be higher, as these cancers can be hard to diagnose, and some might be misclassified as other types of cancer.
Bile duct cancer is much more common in Southeast Asia, mostly because a parasitic infection that can cause bile duct cancer is much more common there.
Bile duct cancer can occur at younger ages, but it is seen mainly in older people. The average age of people in the US diagnosed with cancer of the intrahepatic bile ducts is 70, and for cancer of the extrahepatic bile ducts it is 72.
Bile duct cancers are rare. There is very little information about how many are diagnosed in the UK.
In Great Britain fewer than 1,600 people are diagnosed each year with intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Around 400 people are diagnosed with extrahepatic bile duct cancer. (Numbers of people diagnosed in Northern Ireland are not available.)
Wikipedia - People who died from Cholangiocarcinoma:
(19 people listed)
- Dave Bergman
- Frana Cardno
- Thomas Gifford
- Ernie Harwell
- Satoru Iwata
- Joasaph (McLellan)
- Fred Kavli
- Naomi Kawashima
- Chris LeDoux
- Jim Mandich
- Ray Manzarek
- Bobb McKittrick
- Walter Payton (also: Wikipedia - Walter Payton 1954-1999)
- Tommy Ramone
- Halit Refiğ
- Hitoshi Saito
- Masao Takemoto
- Peter Wintonick
- Mirosław Złotkowski
For Further Reading See:
- Wikipedia - Cholangiocarcinoma
- American Cancer Society - What is Bile Duct Cancer?
- Cancer.Net - Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma)
- Cancer Research UK - Survival Statistics for Bile Duct Cancer
- MedlinePlus - Bile Duct Cancer
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- See under: death by natural causes & Cancer