Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma): Medical Illustrations

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 09/2023

ON THIS PAGE: You will find a drawing of the bile duct, which is the part of the body affected by bile duct cancer. Use the menu to see other pages.

Illustration of bile duct

This illustration shows the location and anatomy of the gallbladder and bile ducts. The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ, located under the liver. The right and left hepatic ducts branch out to connect to the liver, and come together to form the common hepatic duct, which connects to the gallbladder via the cystic duct. The common hepatic duct connects to the common bile duct, which continues to the distal common bile duct. The common bile duct branches out to connect to the pancreas, located in the curve of the duodenum under and behind the stomach. Copyright 2005-2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Robert Morreale/Visual Explanations, LLC.

The next section in this guide is Risk Factors and Prevention. It describes the factors that may increase the chance of developing bile duct cancer. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.