Organization chart
Founding members
Giovanni Brandi, Andrea Fantoni, Mirella Ferri, Marina Gamberini, Paolo Leonardi, Giuseppe Solinas, Paolo Verocai, Antonella Villanova
Presidential Committee
Mirella Ferri, Secretary
Paolo Leonardi , President
Treasurer
Marina Gamberini
Collaborations
The APIC belongs to the
Italian Federation of Voluntary Associations in Oncology
HONEYCOMB
ROPI - Italian Patient Oncology Network
https://www.reteoncologicaropi.it
and collaborates with:
AMMF - The UK Cholangiocarcinoma Charity
Mission
The fight against cancer has made great strides but there is still difficulty in finding the resources necessary to continue and win this battle. Scientific research must continue to grow and to do so it is necessary to be able to find the necessary resources. Funds for rare diseases risk being marginal as the rare disease is little known by the community and therefore insufficiently funded.
This association was created with the aim of helping people with cholangiocarcinoma to have access to information that is difficult to find, which is still little known or widespread, by sharing with them and their families an information heritage that informs them about this disease, its possible causes, on the possibilities of treatment, aid and prevention.
Collaborating with a group of specialists in a multidisciplinary effort of a global approach to the patient, this association represents the means and the strategy to address and prevent where possible this disease still very little known by patients and, sometimes, by clinicians. Most of the resources raised will be used to finance research on cholangiocarcinoma.
The Association will also organize meetings to raise awareness among citizens and public bodies on the possible causes of cholangiocarcinoma, contributing to a cultural change towards the disease and to fundraising to support research on it. For example, action will be taken in areas where there have been intense industrial activities related to asbestos with a strong impact on the health of the population, such as in Casale Monferrato, Cavagnolo, Rubiera, Bagnoli, Piombino, Taranto. For the concrete implementation of these activities, the Association will seek and promote collaboration with the National Health Service and with all other territorial, public and private, local and community services that have direct or indirect connection with its field of intervention, including Institutes and research bodies, including the GICo - Gruppo Italiano Colangiocarcinoma, which is the first scientific referent of the APIC .
APIC’s main objectives are:
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to raise the awareness of cholangiocarcinoma;
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to provide information to patients and their families;
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to encourage and support specialised research into understanding the causes, finding ways to achieve earlier diagnosis and effective treatments for this disease;
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to support patients and their families during their clinical treatments.
History
APIC (Associazione Pazienti Italiani di Colangiocarcinioma) was established in Bologna on January16th, 2019, on the initiative of a group of patients, family members, friends, and physicians.
The Association is dedicated to raising awerness, supporting research, and providing information on cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and yet expanding and severe bile duct cancer. The Association is a non-profit organization, that is to say an organization whose primary purpose is to promote a form of social utility. It operates both at a national and a local level to share information on the disease, and promotes many initiatives to improve the prevention and treatment of this rare tumor.