Words to know: Bile duct and gallbladder cancer
- Bile
- A fluid made by the liver that helps digest fat.
- Bile duct
- A small tube that carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine.
- Gallbladder
- A small pouch under the liver that stores bile.
- Cholangiocarcinoma
- Cancer that starts in the bile ducts.
- Biliary tract cancer
- A group name for bile duct and gallbladder cancers.
- Intrahepatic
- Inside the liver.
- Perihilar (Klatskin tumor)
- A bile duct cancer where the main ducts leave the liver.
- Jaundice
- Yellow skin and eyes caused by a buildup of bile, often from a blocked bile duct.
- Stent
- A small tube placed inside a bile duct to keep it open.
- Biliary drain (PTBD)
- A thin tube placed through the skin into the bile duct to drain bile.
- Cholangitis
- An infection of the bile ducts, often from a blocked duct or stent.
- ERCP
- A camera test through the mouth to look at and treat the bile ducts, such as placing a stent.
- MRCP
- A type of MRI that shows the bile ducts and pancreas duct.
- CA 19-9
- A tumor marker in the blood that can help track these cancers. A blocked bile duct can also raise it.
- Resectable
- Able to be fully removed with surgery.
- Metastatic
- Cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body.
- Adjuvant therapy
- Treatment given after surgery to lower the chance the cancer returns.
- Immunotherapy
- Medicine that helps the immune system find and attack cancer, such as durvalumab or pembrolizumab.
- Targeted therapy
- Medicine that blocks a specific change in cancer cells.
- FGFR2 fusion
- A gene change in some bile duct cancers that FGFR inhibitor pills can target.
- IDH1 mutation
- A gene change in some bile duct cancers that the pill ivosidenib can target.
- HER2
- A protein that can be high on some cancer cells, more often in gallbladder cancer. HER2-targeted drugs can treat it.
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS)
- A broad test that checks a tumor for many gene changes at once.
- Palliative care
- Care that focuses on comfort, symptoms, and quality of life at any stage of illness.
- Clinical trial
- A research study that tests new treatments in people.
Last updated: 2026-10-27. Medically reviewed by Veli Bakalov, MD, medical oncologist (October 2026). General education from Step by Step, the patient portal of HemeOncBuddy.