For the Cause

There were approximately 1.8 million new cancer cases in the U.S. in 2019.  There are many types of cancers, and they fall into 5 categories.  Carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer, with nearly 90% of the diagnosed cases each year.  Carcinomas include cancers such as breast, colon, and prostate.  Sarcoma is the one of the rarest forms of cancer in adults, making up approximately 1% of the annual total of cancer diagnoses.  Sarcoma is more prevalent in children, with 20% of all pediatric cases being this type of cancer.

Sarcoma cancer fits into two categories: Soft-Tissue and Bone.  With those two categories, there are more than 100 subtypes.  One of those subtypes is Angiosarcoma, which was Beth’s diagnosis.  Angiosarcoma cancer is a cancer of the blood vessels and most commonly arises in the head and neck area, breast, bone, or other vital organs such as liver and spleen.  Angiosarcoma is exceedingly rare, making up only about 1% of sarcoma cases – that means less than 200 cases per year, or 0.1% of the national total.  It is an aggressive cancer and spreads or metastases frequently, resulting in a survival rate of less than 20%. 

Because of the lower number of patients, research funding for this type of cancer tends to be less, and testing is more difficult with a smaller population.  The Beth Ball Golf Tourney is held in Bethany’s honor and is intended to help with the effort to find a cure.

The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is an operational name for the State University of Iowa Foundation, an independent, Iowa nonprofit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, publicly supported charitable entity.  Sarcoma research at University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (“UI HCCC”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization focused solely on Sarcoma research cures and prevention.  It is 100% funded by 3rd party donations.