“You have liver cancer.” It’s a sentence that nobody wants to hear, but far too many people have heard (likely hundreds of thousands this year). Despite the prominent position that cancer has played in the public consciousness over the past 50 years, liver cancer – one of the deadliest cancers, one that is becoming more common – still hardly creates an echo.

We’re committed to changing that. Welcome to the very first edition of Liver Cancer News. As we expand our offerings for and about the broader liver health community, Global Liver Institute remains committed to keeping you informed about liver cancer. Each edition will include upcoming events, patient stories, exciting news, and more.

The tragedy of liver cancer is extended by the fact that in the vast majority of cases (at least 70%), the disease could have been prevented. It is sadly no surprise that a disproportionate brunt of this burden is born by vulnerable communities – the racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities who face barriers to health education, care, and more. To achieve the goals of the re-ignited Cancer Moonshot, it’s imperative to address liver cancer – and so, to address the needs of these vulnerable groups. Collectively, we have the tools to make a huge difference in the incidence of liver cancer. It’s time to use them.

Thus, the theme for GLI’s #OctoberIs4Livers campaign this year –  Driving Equity in Liver Cancers – highlights an absolutely essential need. We are proud to launch the 5th annual iteration of the first and only global campaign dedicated to public awareness, policy, and clinical practice needs to prevent and manage liver cancer while educating and empowering those impacted by it. This year, we will connect diverse communities around the world – from our home in Washington D.C. to yours – to highlight, fight, and reduce the disparities associated with this cancer that has continued to rise for decades. 

Advancing liver health equity takes collective effort. From doctors to scientists and from patients to caregivers, you are important in moving the needle forward. Start by signing GLI’s Global Call to Action, which aims to double the five-year survival rate for liver cancers by 2030. We hope you will join us by signing this pledge, and also hope you will join the conversation throughout #OctoberIs4Liver. We can’t afford to wait.

Donna R. Cryer, JD
President & CEO
Global Liver Institute

#OctoberIs4Livers

GLI is proud to release our 2022 #OctoberIs4Livers event calendar!

Every week during October, GLI will be broadcasting GLI LIVE episodes and Health Equity Roundtables for Black, LatinX/Hispanic, Asian and Asian American, and LGBTQ+ communities.

These Roundtables will launch ongoing Health Equity Community Conversations, starting in 2023! In addition to weekly sessions on timely topics in equity and innovation, keep an eye out for:

• • Liver Cancer Lessons in new languages
  • Social Media Toolkit so you can get involved
  • Fighting Liver Cancers with Food, a 3-part cooking show
  • New resources evaluating barriers to success in combating liver cancer in regions around the world
  • Liver cancer center open houses around the world
  • More events from our friends & partners

Learn more!

Upcoming Initiatives & Events

Patient Perspectives

Patient Name: Melinda Bachini

City/State/Country: Billings, MT, USA

Disease(s): Bile Duct/Liver Cancer (2009 – Present)

After brushing off the symptoms of shoulder pain, fatigue, and GI issues as part of my career as a paramedic, I eventually scheduled an appointment with my primary care physician in 2009. An ultrasound revealed that I had a grapefruit-sized tumor on my liver. The liver resection, which removed two-thirds of my liver, confirmed that I had intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Three months after the resection, my cancer came back, and I knew the only way to beat it was by participating in a clinical trial, which I credit the persistence of my oncologist for finding. Read the full story

Patient Name: Anthony Villiotti

City/State/Country: Springfield, Illinois, USA

Disease(s): Type II Diabetes (1985 – Present); NASH (2014 – 2018); Cirrhosis (2015-2018); Liver Cancer (2017 – 2018)

A transplant can be a lifesaver, but it is not a get out of jail free card; after all, it carries ramifications that highlight the importance of early diagnosis and prevention as you are much better off not having to go through this obstacle in life. Unfortunately, early diagnosis and prevention is hampered by a lack of awareness around liver health. We grow up not knowing much about our liver. This further drives the stigma against having liver cancer. When my wife shared my liver cancer diagnosis with others, people often made assumptions about my alcohol consumption patterns. Read the full story

Share your story with us!

GLI Partner Highlights

From June 3-7, 2022, 40,000 oncology professionals joined together at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. GLI attended to hear the latest clinical cancer advances in all areas of cancer research.

The first Africa HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancer Consortium Conference was held in Cairo, Egypt on August 28, 2022. GLI provided welcoming remarks.

GLI was invited to be a part of the Multi-stakeholder Texas Collaborative Center for Hepatocellular Cancer (TeCH) meeting on September 17, 2022. This conference brought together elected officials and decision-makers, community groups, and industry partners to discuss HCC in Texas and how we might guide strategies to improve HCC prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Research & Development

On September 2, 2022, AstraZeneca, one of GLIs Liver Cancer Council corporate members, received FDA approval for durvalumab (Imfinzi, AstraZeneca UK Limited) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer (BTC). Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this first immunotherapy treatment to patients with this rare, aggressive cancer.