Empower Our Patients – Increase Their Survival.
Empower Our Community – Exponentially Increase Survival

There is nothing in life or the science of life that is not vulnerable to being knocked off its precarious pedestal of certainty. The only certainty in life is that there is no certainty, just obstacles and their possibilities. Therefore, the opportunity within life is to see the possibilities within the obstacles and then set about making them our reality. It is we patients who walk the talk, it is we patients who lead and shape the science and healthcare that serves us.  Every step we make is an action that speaks for us. Sharing our story amplifies action over words of action, it is the greatest gift we have to give.” ~ Steve Holmes 

Hi everyone!

I’m excited to share an update on my cycling challenge and the life-saving progress we’re making together in the fight against bile-related cancers. Since starting my virtual journey around Australia on September 1st, 2023, I’ve cycled 11,200 km out of my 14,000 km goal—using the Gold Coast roads as my proxy. While I didn’t complete the full distance within one year, I’m not stopping until I hit that target! Every kilometer has been driven by your support, and I’m beyond grateful.

Why This Matters:
Australia has witnessed a dramatic rise in deadly bile-related cancers over the past decade. From 2010 to 2020, liver cancer cases rose by 40%, bile duct cancer by 58%, and pancreatic cancer surged by 72%. These cancers are interconnected through chronic toxic bile produced in the liver, flowing through the biliary tree and interacting with the head of the pancreas—a critical zone where exposure to toxic bile can contribute to cellular damage and cancer development.

Each year, approximately 8,500 Australians are diagnosed with these high-lethality cancers—4,506 pancreatic cancer cases, 2,000 liver cancer cases, and 1,500 to 2,500 from the biliary tree. Together, these cancers result in 7,200 deaths annually (AIHW). To put this in perspective, breast cancer, with around 22,000 cases annually, results in about 3,000 deaths each year. In stark contrast, bile-related cancers affect a smaller population but result in an astonishing 7,200 deaths—underscoring the urgent need for innovative response strategies.

What We’re Doing to Make a Difference:
We’re not just raising awareness—we’re driving real change. As a Patient-Led Functional and Instructional Cancer Research Foundation, here’s how your donations are making a real difference:

• Patient-Led: We ensure that the patient’s capacity to respond is at the center of every initiative, giving them control of their journey.
• Functional: We simplify complex science into actionable insights that patients can apply to survive and thrive.
• Instructional: We empower patients with tools like Navigator Journals and our Optimal Patient Response (OPR) program, enabling them to succeed through every step of their cancer journey.
• Research: We fill critical gaps in knowledge and research, targeting what can help patients survive today. Our BILElink platform matches patients with the best specialists and provides remote second opinions and clinical trial access—especially for those in regional and remote areas.
• Foundation: We bring together the entire community—science, healthcare, and patient support—centered around the patient. Our Light Australia Green campaign unites caregivers, healthcare professionals, and scientists to drive collaboration, education, and progress in cancer care.

Here’s how your donations are powering our key response strategies:

1. Optimal Patient Response (OPR) Process:
   The OPR initiative combines professional and patient expertise to create a response process that shifts the patient and their caregiver from the passenger seat into the co-pilot’s seat. OPR centralises its efforts to equip and empower patients to more effectively respond by providing Navigator Journals, Digital Toolkits, and a CCF-trained peer support network of navigators, coaches, and hospital ambassadors. This comprehensive system helps patients confidently navigate their diagnosis and enhances their capacity to succeed.
2. BILElink for Patients and Professionals:
   This is the Central Intelligence platform for both patients and medical professionals. BILElink for Patients centralizes patient-endorsed professional and specialist services, providing enhanced access to free remote second opinions and clinical trial matching by NGS mutations. This patient-led platform removes regional barriers, ensuring equal and timely access to expert care, particularly for patients in remote areas. BILElink for Professionals creates higher visibility of all bile-related specialists, elevating collaboration through a dedicated portal that provides instant visibility, facilitating informed care decisions and ensuring that the most current expertise is accessible nationwide, improving patient outcomes.
3. Light Australia Green:
   Our national campaign unites patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and scientists. This initiative includes a national series of state symposiums, landmark illuminations for World Cholangiocarcinoma Day—bringing patients and their communities together under the green glow of significant landmarks—and an annual professional conference that brings science, patients, and caregivers together to foster collaboration and education, driving progress in cancer care across the nation.

Together, these projects form a comprehensive response strategy to these highly lethal cancers, ensuring that patients are not just informed but fully equipped to navigate their diagnosis with confidence. Our broader strategy also includes BILEflow, a research program focused on bile health and composition, and importantly, cancer prevention through cutting-edge and highly targeted research.

How You Can Help:
These bile-related cancers are aggressive and deadly, but with your help, there’s hope. By donating today, you are directly supporting the programs that empower patients, advance research, and improve survival outcomes. We have worked hard to provide a “Donate on Target” pathway to ensure your contributions have the maximum impact. Together, we are creating solutions that save lives.

Whether you’ve been with us from the start or are just learning about our work, your support can make a real, immediate impact. Please consider donating today to be a part of this life-changing mission. Together, we are transforming survival outcomes.

Thank you for your support, and let’s cross this finish line together—on the bike and in the fight against cancer.

• Follow me on Strava
• Folow Me on Facebook 
• Donate to my Ride at https://cholangio-challengers.raisely.com/steve-holmes
• My Personal Story

Join the Light Australia Green Initiative for World Cholangiocarcinoma Day 2025 – and Beyond!

Host a ‘Green Picnic Party‘ under the green glow of your favorite community landmark – the only entry fee is to bring a green chair!

Stand in solidarity with patients, families, and supporters across Australia by hosting your own Light Australia Green picnic party or any other innovative event. On 20 February 2025, thanks to Lynette Williams (Patient), landmarks like Coffs Harbour’s Big Banana will light up green to raise awareness for cholangiocarcinoma. Imagine communities all over the country gathering under a soft green glow, sharing stories, and uniting for a powerful cause.

Lets Green Up Australia’s Image

“By lighting Australia green, we honor those we’ve lost, celebrate survivors, and push for greater awareness of cholangiocarcinoma. Let’s come together to build a stronger, more empowered community—taking individual and collective action that truly makes a difference.”
— Steve Holmes, CEO, Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Australia

Light Australia Green is Celebrating World Cholangiocarcinoma Day