Statistics About Bile Duct Cancer

Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chance of getting cancer. Or they use them to try to figure out their chance of being cured. Statistics show what happens with large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, statistics cannot be used to know or predict what will happen to a particular person.

These are some statistics about bile duct cancer from the American Cancer Society:

• About 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with bile duct cancer each year in the United States. 

• People in Asia or the Middle East are the most likely to get bile duct cancer. They are also more likely to die of it. This is partly because a parasitic infection of the bile ducts is more common in these areas of the world. This parasite raises the risk for bile duct cancer.

• Bile duct cancer is usually seen in people older than 65, but it can sometimes happen in younger people. 

Survival rates for people diagnosed with bile duct cancer depend on how advanced the cancer was when diagnosed. The location of the cancer also influences survival rates.