This year for World Cholangiocarcinoma Day, Ilona joins us to discuss her experience as a queer person with cancer. 

Ilona first joined our peer support in 2020 and has been a friend of the charity ever since. When we reached out to offer her a chance to share her experience, Ilona was keen to take part in raising awareness about cholangiocarcinoma, otherwise known as bile-duct cancer. 

In the video below, Ilona tells us how cholangiocarcinoma is considered a rare bile duct cancer normally diagnosed in older people, however, increasing numbers of diagnoses have been seen in younger and middle-aged people more recently. Ilona was diagnosed when she was 39. 

It is thanks to stories like Ilona’s that we know how validating it can be to be respected and understood by your cancer care team. This is why Live Through This continues to push for greater visibility for the queer community in cancer spaces. The entire Live Through This team wants to extend a huge thank you to Ilona for taking the time to share her experience. 

Watch the full video to hear her story: