• Understanding Liver/ Bile-duct cancer

What is liver/bile-duct cancer? The value of catching it early. 

Cancers like liver and bile duct cancers often hide, with symptoms not appearing until later stages.1,2 The earlier that these cancers are diagnosed, the greater the chance of successful treatment.3

The Galleri® multi-cancer early detection test screens for more than 50 cancer types with a single blood draw, including those without a recommended screening test.4,5 If a cancer signal is detected, the Galleri test may predict the Cancer Signal Origin, such as liver and bile duct.6* 

*The overall sensitivity in study participants with liver/bile duct cancer was 93.5% (100% for stage I, 70.0% stage II, 100% stage III, 100% stage IV).

The Galleri test does not detect a signal for all cancers, and false positive or false negative results can occur. Diagnostic testing is needed to confirm cancer. The Galleri test should be used in addition to healthcare provider recommended screening tests.

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*The overall sensitivity in study participants with liver/bile duct cancer was 93.5% (100% for stage I, 70.0% stage II, 100% stage III, 100% stage IV).

The Galleri test does not detect a signal for all cancers, and false positive or false negative results can occur. Diagnostic testing is needed to confirm cancer. The Galleri test should be used in addition to healthcare provider recommended screening tests.

Risk factors and symptoms for liver/bile-duct cancer

Age is the single greatest risk factor for cancer.1 In fact, adults over the age of 50 are 13 times more likely to have cancer compared to people under age 50.2 Understanding the risk factors enables individuals to make informed health decisions and discuss screening options with healthcare providers.

Risk factors for liver3

  • Chronic liver disease — including cirrhosis, long-term hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • Metabolic conditions — excess body weight or 2 diabetes.
  • Alcohol and tobacco use — heavy alcohol use and smoking.
  • Certain inherited or autoimmune liver conditions — such as hereditary hemochromatosis or primary biliary cholangitis.
  • Long-term exposure to aflatoxins — naturally occurring toxins that can contaminate certain foods.
blue line graph representing cancer incidence increases with age indicating a 13X higher risk after age 50

Risk factors of bile-duct4

  • Chronic diseases of the bile ducts — such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
  • Certain bile duct abnormalities — including bile duct stones, choledochal cysts, and abnormal bile duct anatomy.
  • Chronic liver disease — including cirrhosis and hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
  • Certain inherited genetic conditions — such as Lynch syndrome or cystic fibrosis.
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Heavy alcohol use
  • Liver fluke infection — primarily in regions where these parasites are common.
  • Older age, with most cases occurring in people in their 60s or 70s.

Symptoms of liver/bile-duct cancer5,6

Symptoms of liver cancer5

As liver cancer develops, symptoms may include:

  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
  • Weight loss for no known reason
  • Loss of appetite
  • Itchy skin
  • Fever
  • Pain in the abdomen (belly) or near the right shoulder blade
  • Swelling or fluid buildup in the abdomen 
  • Feeling very full after a small meal
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • An enlarged liver, felt as fullness under the ribs on the right side
  • An enlarged spleen, felt as fullness under the ribs on the left side
  • Enlarged veins on the belly that can be seen through the skin
  • Abnormal bruising or bleeding

These symptoms are also symptoms of many other, less lethal conditions. 

Symptoms of bile-duct cancer6

As bile-duct cancer develops, symptoms may include:

  • Jaundice
  • Loss of appetite/weight loss
  • Itching
  • Light-colored/greasy stools
  • Dark urine
  • Abdominal (belly) pain
  • Fever

Start screening before liver/ bile-duct cancer symptoms appear 
 

Liver/ bile-duct cancer is one of one of 12 deadly cancers* responsible for two-thirds of US cancer deaths.1 These cancers tend to release more DNA fragments into the bloodstream at early stages.1 And yet most do not have a recommended screening test. Adding the Galleri test to recommended cancer screening tests (i.e., lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, and cervical) to screen for additional cancers can increase your chance of finding cancer early and allow for earlier treatment.2,3,4

*Anus, bladder, colon/rectum, esophagus, head and neck, liver/bile duct, lung, lymphoma, ovary, pancreas, plasma cell neoplasm, and stomach.

The overall sensitivity in study participants with pancreatic cancer was 83.7% (61.9% for stage I, 60.0% stage II, 85.7% stage III, 95.9% stage IV).

Liver bile duct Iceberg Graphic 1220x1220

  1. American Cancer Society. Signs and symptoms of liver cancer [updated 2025 Feb 11]. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/liver-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html 
  2. American Cancer Society. Signs and symptoms of bile duct cancer [updated 2024 Oct 11]. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bile-duct-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html 
  3. American Cancer Society. Find cancer early [cited 2026 Aug 6]. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/screening.html  
  4. Klein EA, Richards D, Cohn A, et al. Clinical validation of a targeted methylation-based multi-cancer early detection test using an independent validation set. Ann Oncol. 2021;32(9):1167-77. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.05.806
  5. US Preventive Services Task Force. A, B, and C grade recommendations, cancer, screening [cited 2025 Mar 18]. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/topic_search_results
  6. GRAIL, Inc. Enhanced Cancer Signal Origin prediction [2024 Dec 10]. [Data on file: VV-TMF-59592]