Bile Duct Cancer: Newly Diagnosed

Being told you have bile duct cancer can be scary, and you may have many questions. But you have people on your health care team to help.

It's normal to feel afraid. Learning about your cancer and about the treatment choices you have can make you feel less afraid. This also helps you work with your health care team and make the best choices for your treatment. You can also ask to speak with a counselor.

Your health care team will likely include:

• Medical oncologist. This doctor specializes in treating cancer. Medical oncologists help coordinate cancer care and generally use medicines (like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy) to treat cancer.
• Hepatologist or gastroenterologist. This doctor specializes in treating diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and liver, including the bile ducts.
• Gastrointestinal surgeon or surgical oncologist. This doctor treats diseases of the GI tract with surgery.
• Radiation oncologist. This doctor specializes in treating cancer with radiation therapy.

These doctors will answer any questions you may have. They'll help you through each of the steps you'll take before, during, and after treatment. Your team will let you know what tests you need and the results of those tests. They'll guide you in making treatment decisions and help prepare you and your loved ones for what's ahead.

To decide the best course of treatment for you, your health care team needs to know as much as they can about your cancer. This may involve getting blood and imaging tests and working with more than one doctor. And you may decide that you want to get a second opinion to help you choose a treatment.

Coping with cancer can be very stressful. Talk with your health care team about seeing a counselor. They can refer you to someone who can help. You may also want to visit a support group in person or online to talk with other people coping with cancer. Ask your health care team about local support groups.