American Liver Foundation Hosts Free Liver Cancer Conference for Patients and Families

The two-day virtual event brings together patients, caregivers, leading medical experts and researchers

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Liver Foundation is pleased to host its third annual, The Educated Patient: A Liver Cancer Conference Presented by Exelixis on October 7^th and 8^th from 11AM to 2PM ET. This two-day virtual education program is created especially for liver cancer patients and their family members or caregivers. Patients, caregivers and family members can register for free.

The Educated Patient: A Liver Cancer Conference Presented by Exelixis offers presentations, workshops and opportunities for engagement with leading medical experts, researchers and others knowledgeable about the issues most relevant to those dealing with liver cancer.

"Living with liver cancer can be an isolating and confusing experience," said Lorraine Stiehl, Chief Executive Officer, American Liver Foundation. "Our goal is to help, support and empower liver patients and families and provide the best information on treatment options and the disease management process."

"We have the knowledge and the tools needed to help prevent infections that cause chronic hepatitis, which can lead to liver cancer," said Behnoosh Momin, DrPH, MS, MPH, health scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and co-chair of Vaccine Preventable Cancers under the Comprehensive Cancer Control National Partnership. "With liver cancer on the rise, it's critical that we work together with partners on a strategy to reverse the trend and save lives."

"We are looking forward to the 3rd Annual Liver Cancer Conference for patients and caregivers. With all the great news about new therapies for primary liver cancer, this conference is sure is to breakdown and explain the complexity of the new treatment options," said Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA, Attending, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Professor, Weill Cornell College at Cornell University. "This is a very much needed conference for all patients and loved ones."

This two-day virtual education program is created especially for liver cancer patients, family members or caregivers and will cover topics such as:

• Liver Disease and Liver Cancer Prevention and Screening
• Treatment Types
• Managing Medications 
• Liver Cancer Prevention and Control
• How to Navigate Clinical Trials
• Recent Breakthroughs for Liver Cancer Research/Hope on the Horizon
• Transplant

"With recent advances in treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) you cannot only live, but thrive and have hope for the future," said Maria Evans Herborn of Houston, TX. Maria has been living with liver cancer since 2018.

American Liver Foundation extends its sincere gratitude to the conference planning committee members: Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Sheila Eswaran, MD, Rush University Medical Center; Jennifer Guy, MD, California Pacific Medical Center; Tamar Taddei, MD, Yale University; Ali Zarrinpar, MD, University of Florida Health.

The conference was made possible due to generous support provided by the following: Presenting Sponsor, Exelixis; Premier Sponsor, Eisai; Premier Sponsor, Genentech; Clinical Trial Session Sponsor, Eureka Therapeutics; and Partner, Bristol Myers Squibb.

Register at alfevents/liver-cancer-conference/registration.

Liver cancer, also called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is when tumor cells begin to grow out of control taking over the liver's functional, healthy cells. There are several kinds of liver cancer which are broken down into general categories: primary liver cancer which starts in the liver itself and includes hepatocellular carcinoma and bile duct cancer; secondary liver cancer which spread to the liver from somewhere else in the body; and benign liver tumors which may interfere with the liver's function but do not grow into nearby tissues or spread. Chronic viral hepatitis is the leading "pathway" to liver cancer in the U.S. and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rapidly increasing as a common cause of liver cancer in the U.S. and worldwide. Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. among all races, ethnicities, and genders – claiming the lives of approximately 30,000 American adults annually. Liver cancer is the most rapidly growing cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. with rates more than doubling since 1980.

Your liver is essential to your life. It is the largest solid internal organ in the body. It is about the size of a football and weighs about 3 to 3.5 pounds (1.36–1.59kg). It is located on your right side, just under your rib cage. The liver performs many vital functions, including filtering toxins from your blood, managing blood clotting, making bile to digest fat, storing sugar for energy, turning extra glucose into glycogen, making protein for blood plasma, and helping with digestion.

There are many kinds of liver diseases and conditions, the most common are hepatitis viruses, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), autoimmune diseases, genetic conditions, cancer, and others. More than 100 million people in the U.S. have some form of liver disease. Approximately 4.5 million U.S. adults (1.8%) have been diagnosed with liver disease. But it is estimated that 80-100 million adults in the U.S. have fatty liver disease, and many do not know they have it. Research estimates that fatty liver disease is present in up to 75% of overweight people and in more than 90% with severe obesity. Globally, it affects one billion people. In 2020, 51,642 adults in the U.S. died from liver disease (15.7 per 100,000 population). Find more information about Liver Disease.

The American Liver Foundation is the nation's largest non-profit organization focused solely on promoting liver health and disease prevention. The American Liver Foundation achieves its mission in the fight against liver disease by funding scientific research, education for medical professionals, advocacy, information and support programs for patients and their families as well as public awareness campaigns about liver wellness and disease prevention. The mission of the American Liver Foundation is to promote education, advocacy, support services and research for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease. For more information visit liverfoundation.org or call:1 800 GO LIVER (800-465-4837).

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CONTACT: Julie Kimbrough
[email protected]
Direct dial: 646-737-9409 

SOURCE American Liver Foundation