• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Liver Cancer UK HomepageLiver Cancer UK

Part of the British Liver Trust

  • About us
  • Health professionals
  • Talk to a nurse 0800 652 7330
  • Twitter
  • Liver cancer information
    • Types of liver cancer
      • HCC liver cancer
        • Overview
        • What is HCC?
        • Symptoms
        • Risks and causes
        • Diagnosis
          • Tests
          • Questions for your doctor
        • Treatment
          • Stages
          • Early stage HCC (0-A)
          • Intermediate HCC (stage B)
          • Advanced HCC (stage C)
          • Very advanced (stage D)
          • If your HCC comes back (recurrence)
          • Check-ups
          • Outcomes (prognosis)
        • Living with HCC
      • Bile duct cancer
        • Overview
        • What is bile duct cancer?
        • Symptoms
        • Risks and causes
        • Diagnosis
          • Tests
          • Questions for your doctor
        • Treatment
          • Stages
          • If cancer can be removed
          • If cancer can’t be removed
          • If cancer is advanced or has come back
          • Questions for your doctor
          • Check-ups
          • Outcomes (prognosis)
        • Living with bile duct cancer
      • Rare types of liver cancers
      • Secondary liver cancer
    • Just diagnosed?
    • Types of treatment
      • Surgery
        • Types of surgery
        • Preparing for surgery
        • After surgery
      • Targeted cancer medicines (biological therapies)
      • Chemotherapy
      • Embolization, TACE and TARE or SIRT
      • Ablation
      • Radiotherapy
      • Treatment for symptoms and advanced cancer
      • About clinical trials
    • Risk and causes of liver cancer
    • Liver cancer tests
    • Living with liver cancer
      • Diet and exercise
      • Coping with advanced cancer
      • Mental wellbeing
      • Money matters
      • Support from others
      • Complementary and alternative therapies
      • Patient stories
    • Our booklets and resources
    • Glossary / useful words
  • Support for you
  • How you can help
  • News and blogs
  • Donate
Home » Liver cancer information » Types of liver cancer » Bile duct cancer » Treating bile duct cancer » Check-ups for bile duct cancer

Check-ups for bile duct cancer

Bile duct cancer

  • Overview
  • What is bile duct cancer?
  • Symptoms
  • Risks and causes
  • Diagnosis
    • Tests
    • Questions for your doctor
  • Treatment
    • Stages
    • If cancer can be removed
    • If cancer can’t be removed
    • If cancer is advanced or has come back
    • Questions for your doctor
    • Check-ups
    • Outcomes (prognosis)
  • Living with bile duct cancer

Your doctor will want to see you after your treatment to see how you are. They may call this a follow up appointment.

This is an opportunity to tell them about any symptoms or treatment side effects. But if anything is troubling you between check-ups, do contact the hospital and ask for an earlier appointment.

How often you have these appointments varies.

After surgery to remove bile duct cancer

You’ll probably see your surgeon every 3 months for the first couple of years. This is to check for signs of the cancer coming back. If all’s well, then the appointments may be 6 monthly after that.

Your doctor will examine you and ask how you’re feeling. You will have scans or blood tests from time to time. Sometimes, bile duct cancers produce markers that circulate in the blood. Your doctor can test for these – called CEA and CA-19-9. If the level in the blood rises, it could be an early sign of the cancer coming back. You may have blood tests to check these levels every 6 months.

For bile duct cancer that can not be removed

You may have appointments more often. Or your doctor may suggest that you ring for an appointment if you need one. Do call if you have any new symptoms – or if you need advice on coping with symptoms or treatment side effects.

If you have advanced cancer, your doctor may refer you to a specialist team for advice on controlling symptoms. How often you see them will depend on your needs. They’ll give you a number to call if you need to contact them between appointments.

Content last reviewed: October 2022
Next review date: October 2025

Footer

Liver Cancer UK logo
British Liver Trust logo

Quick links


  • Just been diagnosed
  • Living with cancer
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
  • Bile duct cancer

Contact us


Talk to a nurse on our helpline

0800 652 7330

General enquiries:

info@britishlivertrust.org.uk

01425 481 320

© British Liver Trust. All rights reserved. Registered Office: Venta Court, 20 Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8FE.
Registered Charity England and Wales 298858, Scotland SC042140. Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England and Wales, Company No 2227706

Privacy policy | Cookies

Talk to a nurse on our helpline

0800 652 7330

Scroll Up