Why Give Wednesday: Liver Cancer

First, let’s start with the liver…

The liver is the second most important organ in your body and the largest organ inside your abdomen.  It is found right being your ribs on the right side of your body.

Its purpose?

-The liver removes harmful substances from the blood

-It makes enzymes and bile that help digest food

-It converts food into substances needed for life and growth.

What is Liver Cancer?

Liver Cancer is known as a Gastrointestinal Cancer, which is among the most deadly cancer types, and in some cases, some of the most difficult to treat.  In 2014, the National Cancer Institute estimated approximately 33,190 new cases of primary liver cancer and bile duct cancers in the United States and 23,000 deaths from the disease. Secondary liver cancer is cancer that spreads to the liver from another part of the body.

Facts on Liver Cancer

• Liver cancer is seen more often in men than in women. An average man's lifetime risk of getting liver or intrahepatic bile duct cancer is about 1 in 81, while an average woman's risk is about 1 in 196.
• The average age at diagnosis of liver cancer is 63. More than 95% of people diagnosed with liver cancer are 45 years of age or older. About 3% are between 35 and 44 years of age and about 2% are younger than 35.
• Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 600,000 deaths each year.

Why UAB?

At UAB, treatment options are contemporary, accurate, efficient, and effective. Patients diagnosed with liver cancer can rest assured that they have an expert team behind them. Liver Cancer Patients will be treated within the UAB Multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Oncology Clinic. When patients choose to be treated here they benefit from a team of physicians who are specialists in their fields, who care for patients with state-of-the-art technology. These specialists work in collaboration with members from the Department of Radiation Oncology, and Divisions of Hematology/Oncology, Gastroenterology, Endoscopy, and Radiology making a variety of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available to patients.

Visit our website for more information, your support is greatly appreciated. Donations are accepted here. 

Why Give Wednesday: Learn about UAB & Leukemia/ Lymphoma

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream. There are an estimated 52,380 new cases of leukemia in the United States in 2014. There are an estimated 24,090 deaths due to Leukemia predicted this year.

What is Lymphoma?

Lymphomas are cancers that affect the cells in the immune system and are the most common type of blood cancer. Depending on the specific cells that are affected, each case is classified as one of two primary types – Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s – and these two categories break down further into five types of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and more than 40 subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s.

Of the two types, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is far more common, affecting approximately 70,800 estimated in 2014 in the United States, as opposed to 9,190 cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is any of a large group of cancers of lymphocytes (white blood cells). Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas can occur at any age and are often marked by lymph nodes that are larger than normal, fever, and weight loss. 

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. Symptoms include the painless enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, or other immune tissue. Other symptoms include fever, weight loss, fatigue, or night sweats. Also called Hodgkin disease.

Why Choose UAB

The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is a nationally recognized leader in the field of leukemia and lymphoma research and actively conducts clinical trials for both acute and chronic leukemia patients and both Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.

The Cancer Center has been involved in several clinical trials of Clofarabine, an anti-leukemia drug developed here in Birmingham. Many of these examine the drug’s effects on patients older than 60.

The Cancer Center has also been involved in several clinical trials and conducts much epidemiologic study on the outcomes of minority patients with lymphoma.

Much leukemia and lymphoma research is done through UAB’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, which is one of the 10 largest in the country.

Visit our website for more information, your support is greatly appreciated. Donations are accepted here.