Ampullary cancer

Overview

Ampullary cancer is cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the ampulla of Vater. The ampulla of Vater is located where the bile duct and pancreatic duct join and empty into the small intestine. Ampullary (AM-poo-la-ree) cancer is rare.

Ampullary cancer forms near many other parts of the digestive system. This includes the liver, pancreas and small intestine. When ampullary cancer grows, it may affect these other organs.

Ampullary cancer treatment often involves surgery to remove the cancer. Treatment also may include radiation therapy and chemotherapy to kill cancer cells.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of ampullary cancer may include:

• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, called jaundice.
• Diarrhea.
• Clay-colored stools.
• Abdominal pain.
• Fever.
• Blood in the stool.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Weight loss.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you have any persistent symptoms that worry you.

Causes

It's not clear what causes ampullary cancer.

Ampullary cancer happens when cells in the ampulla of Vater develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell a cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA gives instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate. The instructions tell the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, the changes give different instructions. The changes tell the cancer cells to make many more cells quickly. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells.

The cancer cells might form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. In time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it's called metastatic cancer.

Risk factors

Factors that can increase the risk of ampullary cancer include:

• Increasing age. Ampullary cancer is more common in adults older than 70.
• DNA changes that run in families. Some DNA changes that are passed down from your parents can increase your risk of ampullary cancer and other cancers. Examples include the DNA changes that are linked to Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, also called FAP, and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

There is no way to prevent ampullary cancer.

Living with ampullary cancer?

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