Symptoms of bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)
Main symptoms of bile duct cancer
Bile duct cancer may not have any symptoms, or they can be hard to spot.
Symptoms of bile duct cancer can include:
- the whites of your eyes turning yellow or your skin turning yellow, which may be less obvious on brown or black skin (jaundice)
- itchy skin
- darker pee and paler poo than usual
- loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- feeling generally unwell
- feeling tired or having no energy
- a high temperature, or you feel hot or shivery
Other symptoms can affect your tummy, such as:
- feeling or being sick
- pain in your tummy
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from 111 now if:
- your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow
- you're being sick for more than 2 days
- you have symptoms that you are worried about, but are not sure where to get help
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you have:
- lost a noticeable amount of weight
- symptoms of bile duct cancer that are not getting better
Important
Many of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by different conditions.
Having them does not definitely mean you have bile duct cancer. But it's important to get them checked by a GP.
This is because if they're caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat.
What happens at the GP appointment
The GP may feel your tummy.
They may ask you to have a blood test.
The GP may refer you to see a specialist in hospital for more tests if they think you have a condition that needs to be investigated.
This may be an urgent referral, usually within 2 weeks, if you have certain symptoms. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.
Find out more
Cancer Research UK: seeing a GP for symptoms that could be caused by bile duct cancer
Page last reviewed: 26 June 2023
Next review due: 26 June 2026