After Alan Morement died from cholangiocarcinoma at the end of the year 2000, AMMF (The Alan Morement Memorial Fund) was set up and registered as a charity. AMMF is the UK’s only dedicated cholangiocarcinoma (CC) charity.
Although cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) is considered a rare cancer, worldwide it is the second most common cancer arising in the liver. However, because it is so difficult to diagnose accurately and early, CC is often advanced by the time of diagnosis and so surgery, currently the only potential cure, is not an option.
Over recent years an enormous and extremely worrying worldwide increase in CC’s incidence has been noted. In 2008, CC caused over 1300 deaths in England and Wales alone, and the incidence appears to be increasing across all age groups, including younger people. The cause of this ongoing increase is unknown and much research is desperately needed.
AMMF is dedicated to raising awareness, providing information and supporting research into the causes of CC, better diagnostic tests and more effective treatments for this devastating disease.
