Governor Proclaims World Cholangiocarcinoma Day 2022

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina is pleased to recognize and observe February 12^th as World Cholangiocarcinoma Day in commemoration of all patients and caregivers impacted by the rare and lethal cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma; and

WHEREAS, founded in 2006, in Salt Lake City, Utah, by a family who lost a loved one to cholangiocarcinoma, the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation has grown to become the leading global resource in research, education, and public awareness; and

WHEREAS, cholangiocarcinoma starts in the bile duct, a thin tube about 4 to 5 inches long, that reaches from the liver to the small intestine; and

WHEREAS, there are three types of cholangiocarcinoma: intrahepatic, extrahepatic and perihilar, and the mortality rate has increased dramatically in the last decade; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 10,000 people in the United States develop cholangiocarcinoma each year, and almost 2 out of 3 people with cholangiocarcinoma are 65 or older when it is found; and

WHEREAS, the chances of survival for patients with bile duct cancer depends to a large extent on its location and how advanced it is when it is found, but patients are typically diagnosed at a late stage due to no validated early method of detection; jaundice, abdominal pain, itchy skin and weight loss are symptoms that do not usually present until advanced disease progression; and

WHEREAS, 7 out of the 8 deadliest cancers are rare; while rare cancers have a 5-year survival rate under 50%, cholangiocarcinoma’s 5-year survival rate is approximately 20% with no cure; and

WHEREAS, foundations, research and teaching hospitals, rare cancer advocacy groups, and patient advocacy groups from around the globe have joined forces to increased cholangiocarcinoma advocacy, awareness, research, and education to bring improved outcomes for patients in earlier detection and treatment, and potential curative methods;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim February 12, 2022, as “WORLD CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.