2023-12-27 14:03:20
Franceinfo journalist Clémentine Vergnaud died this Saturday, December 23 at the age of 31, following a battle with bile duct cancer. Here is what you need to know regarding this malignant but very often fatal cancerous tumor.
The world of journalism is in mourning following the death of journalist Clémentine Vergnaud this Saturday, December 23, 2023. Passed away at the age of 31, the young woman had been fighting for more than a year and a half once morest cancer of the bile ducts. In order to raise awareness among as many people as possible regarding her illness, Clémentine Vergnaud had also launched last May, a podcast titled “My life facing cancer: Clémentine’s diary”.
“I knew it was an aggressive cancer, I understood it, but I came across figures: 10% survival at five years, for those who are operable. And I am not operable” she declared for example. Because it is true that although this cancer is little “known”, it is nevertheless one of the most deadly.
Bile duct cancer: a rare and deadly tumor
Bile duct cancer, also called cholangiocarcinoma is rare. There bile is the viscous, yellowish fluid made by the liver. Its main role is to facilitate notre digestion thanks to the bile salts it contains which help dissolve fats. Stored in the gallbladder, it will then flow into the duodenum via the bile ducts. So, by blocking the ducts, the tumor prevents bile from flowing out.
As stated in the French National Society of Gastroenterology (SNFGE), this tumor affects around 2,000 people per year in France (less than 0.5% of all cancers). We also learn that it is usually women aged 60 to 70 who are affected. Unfortunately, bile duct cancer is to this day the only cancer whose mortality rate continues to rise worldwide.
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Bile duct cancer: symptoms and treatment
Most often, the symptoms of this type of cancer only manifests itself at an advanced stage. Indeed, the bile duct cancer is often revealed incidentally, during a follow-up examination. However, several signs should alert the patient and encourage them to consult a doctor, such as jaundice : yellow discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes, sometimes associated with discoloration of stools, itching very important and diffuse without any other cause found, a loss of appetite associated with a weight lossof the shooting pain at the level of the right hypochondrium (area located under the floating ribs, on the right).
After suspicion, the diagnosis is confirmed by a biopsy of the bile ducts during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Finally, regarding treatment, we note that the only curative treatment is the operation, with a partial liver resection if the tumor is located in the liver, or a resection of part of the pancreas if the tumor is located in the lower part of the bile ducts.
When the tumor cannot be removed, palliative chemotherapy or radiotherapy is then offered. Other solutions like installation of a drain or a prosthesis which makes it possible to remove the obstruction linked to the compression of the bile ducts can also be considered.
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