Ernie Harwell Diagnosed With Incurable Bile Duct Cancer

Ernie Harwell, long time sports announcer for the Detroit Tigers has been diagnosed with incurable bile cancer.

He is 91-years-old but remains upbeat about his diagnosis.

Harwell started his career in the 1940s and graduated from sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal & Constitution to becoming a sports commentator on WSB radio.

What is bile duct cancer?

Also called Cholangiocarcinoma, the cancer affects the bile ducts, whose function it is to drain bile from the liver and transfer it to the small intestine. It is quite rare, with only about 1 to 2 cases per 100,000 in the western world.

Symptons can include abdominal pain, weight loss, jaundice and abnormal liver function tests. When it reaches the stage of Cholangiocarcinoma, it is ususally very advanced and there are few treatment options.