Cancers of the bile duct are quite rare.  There are only about 400 new cases in the United Kingdom each year.  The condition usually only develops in people over the age of 70 and is commoner in men than women.

Jaundice is usually the first sign of the great majority of bile duct cancers.  This is because the bile ducts are quite narrow tubes and cancers developing in their wall rapidly block the duct.  This leads to a build up of bile in the bloodstream leading to jaundice, with a yellow discolouration of the skin and the whites of the eyes.  

This type of jaundice, due to a blockage of the bile ducts, is called an obstructive jaundice and it will often cause generalised itching of the skin. When jaundice is the result of a cancer of the bile duct there are often other symptoms like weight loss, loss of appetite, tiredness and weakness. Simple blood tests will confirm the presence of jaundice and suggest that it is due to a blockage.  Ultrasound and CT scan examinations will then usually lead to the diagnosis of a tumour in one of the bile ducts.

There are many different causes of jaundice and it is only very rarely due to a bile duct cancer.