Rethinking liver cancer: Care for your liver like it cares for you (Guest blog)
04.11.20
The liver is a vitally important organ with over 500 different functions from nutrient absorption to hormone production and toxin elimination, but how many of us truly appreciate our livers? This Liver Cancer Awareness Month we wanted to bring this remarkable organ to the forefront of conversation by raising awareness of the risk factors of liver cancer.
For the third year running, Ipsen has supported the European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) with their campaign for Liver Cancer Awareness Month. The theme of this years’ campaign was ‘Rethink liver cancer’. Throughout October we have been asking people to rethink how they treat their liver; educating on lifestyle choices, preventative measures and the risks of progression of the many liver diseases which could ultimately lead to cancer.
Despite primary liver cancer hailing as the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, there is still a distinct lack of awareness of this disease globally. To combat this, at Ipsen we have been amplifying ELPAs key messages by raising awareness on our platforms of selected risk factors of liver disease by telling a story through animated characters. For this campaign, we went about things a little differently, creating impactful character representations of a family of organs, focused on the central character and mother-figure, “Liv the Liver”.
In this series we had a dedicated episode for each family member including; Tom the Tum, Hattie the Heart and Larry the liver, throughout which we see the impact and final culmination of their lifestyle choices on Liv. We hope that these impactful images will stick in the minds of those who see them, encouraging greater respect for this multi-tasking organ and initiating conversation. The earlier liver cancer is identified and diagnosed, the better the outcomes for patients. For those diagnosed with liver disease in particular, it’s key to know the risks of certain lifestyle choices and continue to attend regular screening appointments.
Here at Ipsen, we’re committed to supporting the patient community through providing differentiated and innovative treatment options tailored to patient needs. We feel a personal responsibility to use our channels to amplify the unmet needs of patients and bring critical topics such as liver cancer to the forefront of conversation.
Be sure to visit our website to learn more about the story of Liv and ask yourself ‘is your liver working too hard?’
