The Gall bladder and Bile ducts
The Gallbladder and bile ducts are parts of the digestive system.
- The gallbladder is a small pouch that stores bile
- Bile ducts are the tubes that connect the liver and gallbladder to the small bowel and carry bile.
Bile is made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder and is used by the body to break down fats from food to help us digest this.
The bile ducts and gallbladder together are known as the biliary system (sometimes called the biliary tree).
Gallbladder cancer is rare.
- Just under 1000 people in the UK are diagnosed with it each year.
- It is most common in people over 75 years of age.
- It is more common in women than men..
The types of bile duct cancer are named after the part of the bile duct where the cancer started.
- Intrahepatic bile duct cancers, around 1 in 10 of bile duct cancers (10%).
- Extrahepatic bile duct cancers
There are two types of extrahepatic bile duct cancers:
- perihilar bile duct cancers make up 5 in 10 bile duct cancers (50%)
- distal bile duct cancers make up 4 in 10 bile duct cancers (40 %)
Click here to read more about bile duct cancer and click here to read more about gallbladder cancer.
