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Game of Thrones star Ian Gelder has died aged 74 after a five-month battle with cancer.
Ian, best known for playing Kevan Lannister in the legendary series, was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December.
In England, around 2,800 people suffer from bile duct cancer each year, according to Cancer Research UK. In the United States, about 8,000 people are diagnosed each year.
The number of people diagnosed with bile duct cancer has increased in recent years, and research suggests that smoking and drinking alcohol could be to blame.
Game of Thrones star Ian Gelder has died aged 74 after a battle with cancer.
The actor’s husband, Ben Daniels, announced the news Tuesday night while taking to Instagram to express his grief.
The bile ducts are part of your digestive system and transport a substance of the same name, which is the fluid that helps digest food by breaking down fats.
They connect the liver, where bile is produced, and the gallbladder, where it is stored, to the small intestine.
Although bile duct cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma, rarely causes symptoms in the early stages, there are signs to watch for…
Yellowing of the skin
Jaundice occurs when the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow. It can also cause urine to be darker than normal and stools to be lighter.
It can occur if a tumor blocks the bile duct, stopping the flow of bile to the intestine. As such, it ends up in the bloodstream and tissues of the body.
The yellowing is caused by yellow pigments in bile, explains Cancer Research UK.
Jaundice can also cause a high temperature and make you feel cold and shivering.
Weightloss
You may lose weight when you have bile duct cancer, usually because it may take away your appetite.
But unexplained weight loss is also a symptom of the disease, says Cancer Research UK.
This is because some people lose weight even when eating normally.
This is called cachexia, where the body does not absorb all the fats, proteins and carbohydrates from food and burns calories faster than normal.
Scientists say cancer releases chemicals into the blood that contribute to the loss of fat and muscle mass.
Doctors define unintentional weight loss as losing more than 10 percent of body weight. That’s one stone for every 10 stone you weigh or 6kg for every 60kg, the charity explains.
Pain in your abdomen
A pain in the belly is a common warning sign of bile duct cancer.
It can cause pain specifically on the right side, just below the ribs, says Cancer Research UK.
However, pain in this place is not always cancer. It may also be a sign of a less serious condition, such as gallstones.
Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer last December and died on Tuesday afternoon (pictured in 1972 while filming New Scotland Yard)
The couple had been together since 1993 after meeting while working together on a production of Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane (pictured in 2022 at the 31st Annual Critics’ Circle Theater Awards after-party).
Skin itch
Another symptom of jaundice is itchy skin.
Although itchy skin can be caused by a number of skin problems, it can also be a warning sign of bile duct cancer.
It can occur when the bile ducts become blocked, causing a buildup of bile.
It is this buildup of bile in the bloodstream that can cause itching, explains Cancer Research UK.
What are the causes and risks of bile duct cancer?
There are several risk factors associated with bile duct cancer. This includes age, as people over 65 are at greater risk of developing it.
However, cancer remains rare, explains Cancer Research UK.
Another risk factor is having choledochal cysts, which are sacs that connect to the bile ducts and fill with bile.
It is also thought that people with bile duct stones may be at higher risk, as they can irritate the ducts and cause inflammation.
But, in theory, eating raw fish could also increase the risk of developing cancer.
This is because liver flukes, which are parasitic worms that invade the bile ducts, increase the risk of bile duct cancer. Flukes are usually ingested by eating raw or undercooked fish, health officials say.
Although they are not typically the cause of bile duct cancer in the UK, the charity explains that liver flukes are a bigger problem in Asia, where bile duct cancer is more common.
However, researchers still do not have clear evidence that being overweight, smoking, and drinking alcohol directly increase the risk of bile duct cancer.