BASEBALL LEGEND BERNIE WILLIAMS TEAMS UP WITH EISAI AND ADVOCACY PARTNERS TO LAUNCH ONE LIVER TO LOVE INITIATIVE TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT LIVER CANCER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVER HEALTH

Campaign Provides Educational Resources on Liver Cancer and Encourages People to Make Some Daily Adjustments to Help Support Liver Health

NUTLEY, N.J., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Baseball legend and Latin Grammy-nominated musician Bernie Williams has teamed up with Blue Faery, the Global Liver Institute and Eisai Inc. to launch the One Liver to Love initiative to help raise awareness about liver cancer and the importance of adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle choices to support liver health. The campaign aims to help provide information, educational resources, advocacy support services and a sense of community for anyone impacted by liver cancer.

Rates of liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common form of liver cancer), have almost tripled since 1980. In 2022, over 40,000 new cases are estimated to be diagnosed in the U.S. Liver cancer can be thought of as a disease within a disease. Many people living with liver cancer may also have other liver-related conditions like chronic liver disease, viral hepatitis (B or C), fatty liver disease or cirrhosis. When treating liver cancer, it is important to be proactive about liver health and speak with your health care provider.

"Liver disease is personal to me. It has impacted my mom, my uncle and my grandfather, and I've seen first-hand the difficulties and feelings that come with it," said Williams. "Liver disease and liver cancer can disproportionately impact communities of color, so I'm glad to go to bat for the One Liver to Love initiative to encourage others to be proactive when it comes to liver health and help those affected by liver cancer feel seen and supported."

Liver cancer is a complex disease that is often misunderstood. Once diagnosed, people with liver cancer may feel stigmatized, lost and alone. This initiative aims to help support all people living with liver cancer throughout their experience. It emphasizes the importance of small adjustments to one's daily routine based on four pillars of liver health—nutrition, exercise, sleep and mental health—along with support from one's healthcare team and liver cancer community.   

"Navigating liver cancer can be challenging. Being proactive when it comes to liver health is important for one's physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing," said Andrea Wilson Woods, President, Blue Faery. "That's why it's especially critical to reach this community with resources to explore treatment options and determine the diet, exercise and lifestyle choices that may be best for each individual."

The website OneLiverToLove.com provides information about liver cancer, the roles of different health care providers a patient may have on their multidisciplinary care team, and what to expect with a liver cancer diagnosis. Additionally, the website offers links to advocacy groups and other organizations to help guide those living with cancer and their caregivers.

"The people who understand liver cancer the most are the ones who live it every day: the patients, caregivers, families, health care teams and liver cancer support organizations – and while it can be difficult to ask for and accept support, we are stronger when we come together as a community," said Donna Cryer, President and CEO, Global Liver Institute. "Whether you or a loved one are living with liver cancer, we can all rally together to start a new era of understanding and support." 

"Eisai is driven by our human health care mission, to give our first thoughts to patients as well as their families, and we believe that everyone deserves quality care. From our work with patients and advocates, we know that some people living with liver cancer may feel discouraged or uncomfortable seeking medical care due to stigma – whether external or internalized against themselves, so to address this and the many challenges faced by this community, we've collaborated with partners who share our vision," said Teresa Cronin, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Patient Advocacy at Eisai Inc. "It is our hope that One Liver to Love will help anyone impacted by liver cancer take back their power by understanding more about this disease, finding support within the community, and embracing healthy choices."

As part of the initiative, Williams joins the online conversation around liver health and liver cancer. Others can follow or join the conversation as well by using the hashtag #OneLiverToLove on social media. To learn more about the One Liver to Love initiative and find information and resources about liver cancer, please visit OneLiverToLove.com.

Liver cancer rates have almost tripled since 1980 and in 2022 an estimated 41,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S.  Risk factors for liver cancer include gender, ethnicity, chronic viral hepatitis (Hep-B or Hep-C) infection, cirrhosis, alcohol use and metabolic syndrome. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer and makes up 85%-90% of primary liver cancers (cancer that starts in the tissues of the liver). Hepatocellular carcinoma, which is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, has a five-year survival rate of approximately 20%.

Founded in 2002, the mission of Blue Faery is to prevent, treat, and cure primary liver cancer through research, education, and advocacy. Blue Faery's Patient Resource Guides for Liver Cancer are free for patients, their families, and their healthcare providers. Blue Faery hosts an online Liver Cancer Community for patients and caregivers and gives an annual award to recognize researchers who have made significant contributions to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or understanding of primary liver cancer. To learn more, visit bluefaery.org.

Global Liver Institute (GLI) is a patient-driven 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in the EU and UK, founded in the belief that liver health must take its place on the global public health agenda commensurate with the prevalence and impact of liver disease and the importance of liver health to well-being. GLI promotes innovation, encourages collaboration, and supports the scaling of optimal approaches to improve research, care, and policy. By bringing together more than 200 community-based, national, and international organizations across its Councils, Campaigns, and events, GLI equips advocates to identify and solve the problems that matter to liver patients.

GLI's liver cancers portfolio drives policy, education, and awareness of the diseases to increase screening, treatment, and prevention of the third deadliest cancer in the world. GLI elevates the global dialogue and increases expert collaboration in the field through their Liver Cancers Council. Membership in the Liver Cancers Council provides a basis for many of GLI's liver cancers initiatives, including project planning and development of patient and provider education materials. 

Follow GLI on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

At Eisai Inc., human health care (hhc) is our mission and is the shared purpose that connects us to those we serve creating a network of powerful relationships that enables us to identify, understand and work to address the needs of people throughout their lives. We boldly push past the boundaries of science and aim to deliver life-changing therapies and health-related solutions that matter to people and society. We bring together science, technology and real-world expertise to pursue a world free from cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Everything we do is guided by the simple principle that patients and their families come first, and we have a responsibility to listen to and learn from them.

Eisai Inc. is the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd. The company's presence in the U.S. includes three discovery centers as well as commercial, clinical development and global demand organizations. To learn more about Eisai, please visit us at www.eisai.com/US  and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. For more information on our work in neurology, please visit the Eisai U.S. Neurology LinkedIn page. 

SOURCE Eisai Inc.