The Sphincter of Oddi (SO) plays a vital role in maintaining the normal bile duct pressure, promoting gallbladder excretion and preventing from reflux. When sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) occurs, the incidence rate for bile duct infection and cholelithiasis will greatly increase.

Laboratory studies by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers have shown that the drug triphendiol (NV-196) causes cell death in pancreatic and bile duct cancer cell lines, slows tumor growth and sensitizes tumors to chemotherapy treatments.

By combining the use of stents and photodynamic therapy, also called SpyGlass, physicians at the University of Virginia have been able to significantly increase survival rates for patients suffering from advanced cholangiocarcinoma, cancer of the liver bile duct.

Micro-wound operation is becoming the trend in surgery in the 21st century and laparoscopic surgery is regarded as an important component of micro-wound surgery.

Surgery is the only curative treatment in patients with bile duct cancer. To develop a therapeutic concept a reliable diagnostic procedure is of great importance in these patients.

Oregon Health & Science University researchers are reporting the discovery of an early survival advantage when a combination of surgery and radiation therapy is used for patients with a rare but deadly bile duct cancer.

When bile duct cancer cells were placed in the liver of animals with bile duct obstruction, they grew more rapidly than identical cells placed in animals without bile duct obstruction. In fact, half of the total liver mass of the rats with bile duct obstruction became replaced by cancer cells within three weeks compared to only 16 percent of that of animals without bile duct obstruction.