BILIARY TRACT CANCER

Course overview

BILIARY TRACT CANCER CONSISTS OF TUMORS THAT ARISE FROM EPITHELIAL CELLS LINING THE BILIARY TRACT, WHICH CONSISTS OF THE INTRAHEPATIC BILE DUCT, EXTRAHEPATIC BILE DUCT, GALL BLADDER, AND AMPULLA OF VATER. GALLBLADDER CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON CANCER OF THE BILIARY TRACT AND THE THIRD MOST COMMON CANCER OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. THE COMMON ROUTES OF TUMOR SPREADING ARE VASCULAR, LYMPHATIC, INTRAPERITONEAL, NEURAL, AND INTRADUCTAL. THE COMMON SITES OF METASTASIS ARE LIVER, LYMPH NODES, AND ADJACENT ORGANS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF BILIARY TRACT CANCER AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.