Treatment for Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancers

Gallbladder and bile duct cancers are rare. But at Siteman Cancer Center, we have treatment options that can help you. Our WashU Medicine physicians and surgeons are highly experienced at treating this disease. We use innovative techniques, including immunotherapy and a special pump to deliver chemotherapy at the tumor site.

At Siteman, we understand that you are more than just your cancer. We will provide you with resources to help you and your family cope through the treatment process and beyond. Nurse navigators will guide you and your loved ones as you receive care.

Many patients at Siteman receive treatment through clinical trials. Siteman offers more clinical trials than any other center in our region. If any clinical trials are a good fit for you, your care team will include them in your treatment plan. 

What treatment could I have for my gallbladder or bile duct cancer?

Most patients with gallbladder or bile duct cancer will have a combination of surgery and drug therapy. Drug therapy includes chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Rarely, doctors will recommend radiation therapy. 

Surgery for gallbladder and bile duct cancers

Often, surgery is the first line of treatment for gallbladder and bile duct cancers. If your cancer is at an early stage, surgery might be able to remove it completely. Surgery can also help patients with late-stage cancers feel better.

Because the bile ducts intersect with other important organs, it can be challenging to remove tumors in this area. You’ll want to have surgery at a center that does many gallbladder and bile duct cancer surgeries each year. The WashU Medicine physicians at Siteman excel at performing these surgeries. They have the experience you need.

Common surgical procedures to treat gallbladder and bile duct cancers include:

• Removing the gallbladder: This procedure is called an “extended cholecystectomy.” Your surgeon will take out your gallbladder and some of the tissue around it. This usually includes part of the liver and some nearby lymph nodes.  
• Removing the bile ducts: The bile ducts extend from the liver, to the gallbladder, and into the pancreas. The type of procedure you’ll have depends on where your tumor is located. If a tumor is located in the bile ducts inside the liver, your doctors will have to take out part of the liver. This is called a “partial hepatectomy.” If the cancer has spread more extensively in your liver, your surgeons will take out a lobe of the liver. This is called a “hepatic lobectomy.” 
• Removing the head of the pancreas: This procedure is called a “Whipple procedure.” It’s done cancer is located in the parts of the bile duct inside the pancreas. In a Whipple procedure, your surgeon will take out the widest partof the pancreas, called the “head” as well as the gallbladder, the bile duct, and part of the small intestine. They do this to remove all cancer cells while leaving some of the pancreas in place.

What is drug therapy for gallbladder and bile duct cancers?

Drug therapies are medications that fight cancer cells. There are several types of drug therapies. Each of them works differently. If you have gallbladder or bile duct cancer, you might have drug therapy to prevent the cancer from coming back after surgery.

Drug therapy can also treat gallbladder and bile duct cancers that have started to spread around the body. When this happens, the cancer has metastasized.

At Siteman, drug therapy options for gallbladder and bile duct cancers include:

• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapies are drugs that kill cancer cells wherever they are found in the body. 
• HAI pump therapy: An HAI pump (Hepatic Arterial Infusion) pump delivers chemotherapy into the main artery that feeds the liver (the hepatic artery). Because the artery also serves the bile ducts, it will carry the medication straight to the tumor. HAI pump therapy can be an effective option for patients with bile duct cancers. At Siteman, our team is experienced at performing this complex treatment for our patients.  
• Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is a new form of cancer treatment that trains your own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. It can be a good option for gallbladder and bile duct cancer patients with later-stage cancers. Siteman offers clinical trials exploring immunotherapies for gallbladder and bile duct cancer patients.  

When do patients with gallbladder or bile duct cancer receive radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is not a common treatment for gallbladder and bile duct cancers. In certain cases, doctors may recommend radiation therapy to treat cancers that have spread to other parts of the body. 

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are an important part of gallbladder and bile duct treatment at Siteman. They offer the newest treatments and approaches. Learn more about how clinical trials for gallbladder and bile duct cancer could help you.