Squamous cell carcinoma of the proximal bile duct--a case report.

A 56-year-old white male with abdominal pain, vomiting, and jaundice was found on exploration to have squamous cell carcinoma of the hepatic ducts with metastasis to the liver. He was treated with palliative procedure consisting of dilation of tumor and placement of T-tube past the lesion. After recovering from surgery, patient was begun on radiation therapy to the liver and hilum, but his postoperative course was of progressive liver failure. This first necessitated cessation of radiation therapy and finally ended with the death of the patient three months after diagnosis.