Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation partners with Japan Cholangiocarcinoma Association to Increase Global Advocacy for Bile Duct Cancer

Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (CCF), the largest cholangiocarcinoma advocacy organization in the world, has partnered with the newly formed Japan Cholangiocarcinoma Association to serve patients, raise awareness, fund and create a network for research and healthcare providers in Japan and throughout Asia. The Japan Cholangiocarcinoma Association was founded in 2020 by Masako Watanabe, a five-year survivor of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Stacie Lindsey, Founder and CEO of Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, said, “We are proud to partner with the Japan Cholangiocarcinoma Association. Collaboration is a core value of CCF. We are committed to sharing our knowledge and resources with organizations who support our vision and mission of finding a cure for this deadly disease.”

Founded in Utah in 2006, Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation works collaboratively with institutions, organizations, researchers, healthcare providers, and industry partners across the world. Global collaborative partnerships include international cholangiocarcinoma advocacy organizations AMMF, serving the United Kingdom and Europe (ammf.org.uk), the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation of Thailand (cca.in.th), and Target Cancer Foundation (targetcancerfoundation.org) in the US as well research collaboratives such as the European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma ENS-CCA (enscca.org) and a multitude of health care and academic institutions.

This new collaborative builds on the synergies developed through the Asia-Pacific Cholangiocarcinoma Conference (APCCA). The APCCA was launched by the International Cholangiocarcinoma Research Network (IRCN) / Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (CCF) to promote collaborative clinical and translational research activities in the Asia Pacific Region. Three successful APCCAs have been previously held in the region.

Masako Watanabe, Japan Cholangiocarcinoma Association’s Founder and Executive Director said, “I’ve come to the conclusion that we should, and could, do something to help facilitate research and development to enhance the treatment for this deadly cancer. We boldly envision expanding our network with patients/families, doctors, and the healthcare industry in an attempt to shed a light on this fatal cancer, modeling ourselves on CCF.”

While considered a rare cancer in the United States with approximately 10,000 new cases diagnosed each year, worldwide incidence of cholangiocarcinoma is considerably higher, particularly in Asia. In Japan, approximately 20,000 people are diagnosed each year, and about 18,000 die from the disease annually.