{"entity":{"id":"jaundice-and-itch-biliary","kind":"term","name":"Living with jaundice and itching (biliary cancer)","aka":[],"tldr":"Jaundice from a blocked bile duct turns the skin and eyes yellow, darkens urine, pales stools and causes itching; relieving the blockage with a stent is the main treatment, and cool moisturiser, loose cotton clothes and prescribed medicines help the itch meanwhile.","summary":"The NHS lists the signs as \"your skin or the white part of your eyes look yellow\" with \"itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual\", and says \"ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if\" this happens. Cancer Research UK explains that bile duct cancers \"can often stop bile from flowing into the small bowel. This causes jaundice\", and that doctors may \"put a small tube (stent) into the blocked duct\" so bile drains again.\n\nFor the itch, Cancer Research UK's itching page lists jaundice among the causes and suggests keeping the skin cool with \"moisturiser cooled in a refrigerator\", wearing \"cotton, linen or silk\", bathing in \"lukewarm water\", and patting or pressing the skin rather than scratching; medicines include antihistamines and colestyramine for jaundice-related itching, and treating the cause. Tell the team if the itching gets worse, the skin becomes red or sore, or you cannot sleep because of it. Jaundice that returns after a stent usually means the stent has blocked; see the stent problems and cholangitis records. This is orientation from public patient pages, not advice for your case: your own team's instructions and 24-hour number come first.","asOf":"2026-09-24","links":[{"label":"NHS: jaundice","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/jaundice/"},{"label":"Cancer Research UK: controlling symptoms of bile duct cancer","url":"https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/bile-duct-cancer/treatment/controlling-symptoms"},{"label":"Cancer Research UK: itching","url":"https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/physically/skin-problems/itching"},{"label":"NHS: gallbladder cancer, symptoms","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gallbladder-cancer/symptoms/"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["gallbladder"],"sections":[],"technologies":["biliary-stenting-drainage"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":["obstructive-jaundice","biliary-stent","biliary-stent-problems","acute-cholangitis"],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Side effects"},"route":"/terms/jaundice-and-itch-biliary/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"gallbladder","kind":"cancer","name":"Gallbladder cancer","route":"/cancers/gallbladder/"}],"technology":[{"id":"biliary-stenting-drainage","kind":"technology","name":"Biliary stenting and drainage","route":"/technologies/biliary-stenting-drainage/"}],"term":[{"id":"biliary-stent-problems","kind":"term","name":"Biliary stent problems: blockage and infection","route":"/terms/biliary-stent-problems/"},{"id":"acute-cholangitis","kind":"term","name":"Cholangitis: infection of a blocked bile duct","route":"/terms/acute-cholangitis/"},{"id":"obstructive-jaundice","kind":"term","name":"Obstructive jaundice and biliary obstruction","route":"/terms/obstructive-jaundice/"},{"id":"biliary-stent","kind":"term","name":"Stenting (biliary, oesophageal, airway)","route":"/terms/biliary-stent/"}]}}