Doctors are warning people to look out for two vague toilet symptoms that are connected to bile duct cancer – a cancer that grows in tubes connecting the liver, gallbladder and the intestine.
Dark or pale urine and pale ‘putty-like’ stools could be signs of the disease, according to health experts.
Otherwise known as cholangiocarcinoma, bile duct cancer affects 3,100 people in the UK each year, with most of these individuals expected to die within five years after diagnosis.
- Bacteria particles from toilet flushing reduced by ventilation fans
- Smart toilet monitor detects metabolic and reproductive health problems
Liver Cancer UK has revealed that signs of bile duct cancer are mainly noticeable through going to the toilet.
Other signs of bile duct cancer can include a loss of appetite, a fever, fatigue, unintentional weight loss and abdominal pain, often in the right-hand side of the stomach.
Liver Cancer UK said: “It’s a myth that liver cancers are always related to alcohol. In fact, it’s unclear whether alcohol is linked to bile duct cancer.”
Adults aged between 50 and 70 are more likely to be diagnosed with bile duct cancer compared to people who are younger.
Liver flukes and some forms of inflammatory bowel disease can in some cases trigger the development of bile duct cancer.
- Diabetes-related nerve pain improves following faecal transplants
- Autoimmune disorders improved by a Mediterranean diet
In recent years, the number of bile duct cancer diagnoses have increased, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has said.
There are two main types of bile duct cancer – intrahepatic (form inside bile ducts in the liver) and extrahepatic (form in bile ducts outside of the organ).
Over the last 20 years, liver cancer has been responsible for more than 81,000 deaths in the UK, making it the eighth most common cause of cancer death in the country.
Obesity causes one in four cases of liver cancer, prior studies have revealed. In addition, previous research has reported that a fifth of liver cancer cases are caused by smoking and one in 14 are due to excessive alcohol intake.
