Fibrolamellar HC (Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma) is a rare young-adult cancer. It is a primary liver cancer that is diagnosed only 200 times per year worldwide. 1 in about 5 million people (most in their teens or twenties) contract this disease. Because it is so rare, there is not much research, and therefore no standard chemotherapy treatment plan established thus far. In fact, chemotherapy has not proven effective in the fight against FHC. Studies indicate that aggressive surgery is the best (and often only) effective treatment.

Due to lack of symptoms, most cases of FHC are not diagnosed until the disease is in it’s latter stages. The prognosis is grim for those who aren’t eligible for surgery (due to the location, size or number of the tumour(s)) – and the cancer has often metastasized to other areas of the body.

More information on FHC can be found at www.fibrofoundation.org.

What’s new? It has taken a long time – and a lot of private funding (mostly through the above foundation) – but we’re happy to announce that the first ever trial devoted solely to FHC was approved December 27th, 2011 (ironically, on Eric’s 20th birthday).

Another hospital experienced in treating FHC is Memorial Sloane Kettering in New York; one of the three hospitals where the trial will be conducted.  More information on FHC can be found on this section of their website ……