Biliary malignancies

Biliary malignancies, including cancers of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder and ampulla, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with obstructive jaundice. Cancers of the intrahepatic bile ducts and ampulla are managed as liver and peri-ampullary tumours respectively. Extrahepatic bile duct cancers are diagnosed by cholangiography and evaluated for resectability by imaging and angiography. Vascular infiltration is the main contra-indication for resection, which may also involve the liver. Every attempt must be made to achieve curative resection, but local resection may be justified even if non-curative. Gallbladder cancers are usually advanced at the time of diagnosis and are unresectable--surgical palliation improves the quality of life by relieving biliary and gastric outlet obstruction. Long-term survival is possible after curative resection in early lesions that are usually diagnosed as an incidental finding after cholecystectomy for presumed gallstone disease. The role of adjuvant therapy in biliary malignancies needs further evaluation.