Symptoms of bile duct cancer as 1,000 Brits are diagnosed every year
A dad-of-two has been given just months to live after being diagnosed with a rare bile duct cancer - which affects 1,000 Brits every year.
Yasir Masood, 42, suffered from itchy skin on his lower body before receiving the devastating diagnosis, which is medically known as cholangiocarcinoma. According to Cancer Research UK, the disease strikes when abnormal cells in the bile duct divide and grow in an uncontrolled way.
It can spread into surrounding healthy tissue or organs, including the gallbladder or pancreas. The role of the bile duct is to connect the liver and gallbladder to the small bowel, these tubes carry bile which helps to break down fats in food, adds the charity.
Yasir’s diagnosis came as a huge shock, as the former businessman had been described as a "healthy" man who didn’t drink or smoke. His wife Yasmine Chaudhry told Glasgow Live: "Our lives have completely changed. My children are used to seeing me not being well but now they have two parents who aren't well, it’s very hard for them. He is up and down physically but mentally he is strong, but has his down days."
Following a procedure, Yasir was offered chemotherapy treatment which only works for 10 to 15 percent of bile duct cancer patients. Yasmine added: "She said it's a possibility that because it’s rare, the chemotherapy treatment will make him weaker but might also take his life. She said we can try it and have a three-month extension of life or go for quality of life.
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"We went for a better quality of life for him and he is now in palliative care." However, there's hope that the doting dad could live for longer through Dendritic Cell Therapy - which consists of vaccines that work to generate tumour-specific immunity in patients with advanced cancer. The treatment costs a staggering £30,000, so his family has launched a to help bring in more funds. The page currently sits at £13,521.
Symptoms of bile duct cancer
Symptoms of bile duct cancer can be hard to spot, as warning signs rarely strike during the early stages. When they do develop, the NHS notes that these often 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
High temperature, or you feel hot or shivery
Feeling or being sick
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Pain in your tummy
While there may be other causes for these red flags, the health body urges people to get their symptoms checked by a doctor as soon as possible. Cancer Research UK highlights that symptoms usually depend on where the cancer is located in the bile ducts.
The charity explains that cancers that start in the bile ducts outside the liver or that block drainage of bile from the liver can cause jaundice, stool colour changes, and itchy skin. Meanwhile, when the disease starts in the bile ducts inside the liver, symptoms can include feeling generally unwell, unexplained weight loss, and tummy pain.
What are the causes of bile duct cancer?
When it comes to bile duct cancer, it’s not always clear what causes it. The NHS adds that anyone can get it, and certain people are more prone to the disease. This includes those who are over the age of 65 or who have certain medical conditions, such as abnormal bile ducts and ulcerative colitis.
People with bile ducts, a parasite in the liver (liver flukes), bile duct stones and liver cirrhosis also face a greater risk of the disease. You can support Yasir’s fundraiser by donating .
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