Sisters Embracing Life

DISCLAIMER: Sisters Embracing Life is a non-profit cancer support organization. This story is meant to offer encouragement and support to those who are currently or have dealt with cancer. We make no medical claims. Be sure to seek medical advice from your medical team.

COLOR RIBBON FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER - A light purple or lavender ribbon is used to represent esophageal cancer and cancer survivors.

FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH According to federal statistics, an estimated 20,640 people living in the United States were diagnosed with esophageal cancer and an estimated 16,410 died of the disease in 2022, making it one of the deadliest forms of cancer. The five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with esophageal cancer is about 21 percent.

Smoking, heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages, and a condition known as Barrett’s esophagus can increase a person’s risk of developing esophageal cancer. Other risk factors include older age, being male, and being African American.

Signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer include painful or difficult swallowing, weight loss, pain behind the breastbone, hoarseness and cough, and indigestion and heartburn.

Treatment of esophageal cancer usually involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgical resection, or a combination of those. Immunotherapy has also come into use. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two different therapeutics based on nivolumab as initial treatment for some people with advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer that can’t be treated with surgery. The approval covers the use of nivolumab plus chemotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab for the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which starts in the cells that line the esophagus.

DISCLAIMER: Sisters Embracing Life is a non-profit cancer support organization. This story is meant to offer encouragement and support to those who are currently or have dealt with cancer. We make no medical claims. Be sure to seek medical advice from your medical team.

What is Colorectal Cancer Screening? Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., but it is also one of the most preventable. Dr. Steven Nurkin shares screening guidelines an...

DISCLAIMER: Sisters Embracing Life is a non-profit cancer support organization. This story is meant to offer encouragement and support to those who are currently or have dealt with cancer. We make no medical claims. Be sure to seek medical advice from your medical team.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness month which is represented by the dark blue ribbon. We can use this month to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and take action toward prevention. Wearing a dark blue ribbon is a great way to spread the word and help us support the survivors and remember those lost to colon cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer type worldwide; in 2020, almost 2 million cases were diagnosed. It is the second most common cause of cancer death, leading to almost 1 million deaths per year. This is despite the fact that effective screening techniques exist that could reduce the number of deaths from this disease.

Colorectal cancer affects the digestive system. This includes the large and small intestines. The large intestine is also called the colon. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States among both men and women.

DISCLAIMER: Sisters Embracing Life is a non-profit cancer support organization. This story is meant to offer encouragement and support to those who are currently or have dealt with cancer. We make no medical claims. Be sure to seek medical advice from your medical team.

Stage 4 Lung Cancer Survivor Saved By Treatment Advances: “I’m Truly in Awe” of Immunotherapy Results Oswald Peterson is cancer free after a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, thanks to immunotherapy he received to treat the disease.

DISCLAIMER: Sisters Embracing Life is a non-profit cancer support organization. This story is meant to offer encouragement and support to those who are currently or have dealt with cancer. We make no medical claims. Be sure to seek medical advice from your medical team.

Chris Evert announces she's "cancer-free" more than 1 year after diagnosis "Today, I'm cancer-free, and there's a 90% chance that the ovarian cancer will never come back," the tennis icon said in an op-ed.