Having lost his mother to the disease, singer, songwriter Gavin DeGraw knows firsthand how devastating pancreatic cancer is for patients and their families. Gavin is turning his grief into action by helping the Lustgarten Foundation raise awareness by encouraging people to get involved with the Foundation.
“My mother didn’t make it and unfortunately right now that’s a common story. But it doesn’t have to be the story permanently,” DeGraw said. “By funding research, the Lustgarten Foundation is going to change the course of this disease. I encourage everyone to get involved in some way – join a walk or make a donation.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8213753-lustgarten-foundation-pancreatic-cancer-awareness/
Let’s Win, an initiative supported by the Lustgarten Foundation, launched the Let’s Win! Pancreatic Cancer Survivors video series Friday, January 19, 2018, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. The new online video series, featuring long-term pancreatic cancer survivors of all ages and diverse backgrounds, has been created to show pancreatic cancer patients and their families that people do survive this disease. The survivors have responded exceptionally well to pancreatic cancer therapy that incorporates clinical trials and treatments that go beyond traditional protocols.
When patients are first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, they often turn to the internet, only to find devastating and frightening statistics about the disease. “Our goal is to provide hope and inspiration to patients and their families,” says Cindy Gavin, founding executive director of Let’s Win. “We are so grateful for the incredible vision of one special patient and the generosity of The Flora Family Foundation for their support of this incredible initiative.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8213752-lets-win-pancreatic-cancer-survivor-video-series/
Lustgarten Foundation funded researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins have designed a multi-analyte blood test that can detect the presence of pancreatic cancer as part of a panel of eight common cancers (pancreas, ovary, liver, stomach, esophagus, colorectum, lung and breast) as reported in the online edition of Science today. The test utilizes combined assays for genetic alterations and protein biomarkers and has the capacity not only to identify the presence of relatively early cancer, but also to localize the organ of origin of these cancers.
“The potential this has for pancreatic cancer is unprecedented,” says Anne Marie Lennon, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Director, Pancreatic Cyst Center of the Ludwig Center at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. “We know that in 80-85 percent of pancreatic cancer cases, it’s detected too late, leaving the patient with few options. Developing a blood screening test for pancreatic cancer has been an urgent goal, because catching the disease early will be the way we get to long-term survival.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8213751-lustgarten-foundation-pancreatic-cancer-blood-test/
In honor of World Pancreatic Cancer Day on Nov. 16, people around the world will come together to Demand Better in the fight against the world’s toughest cancer, starting with earlier diagnosis. The annual one-day campaign is an initiative of the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition, which is comprised of more than 60 organizations from 27 countries on six continents.
Every day, more than 1,000 people worldwide will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Of that, an estimated 985 will die from the disease. Additionally, pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate among all major cancers, and in nearly every country, it is the only major cancer with a single-digit five-year survival rate (2-9 percent). These stunning figures are not merely statistics, they represent family members, friends and colleagues on every corner of the globe.
“This year, we are turning World Pancreatic Cancer Day from a day of awareness to a day of action,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition chair. “As we expand our global movement to end pancreatic cancer, we are demanding better for pancreatic cancer patients now and in the future.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8201651-world-pancreatic-cancer-day-demand-better/
Team for Life - Fighting Cancer, Giving Hope
Lazarex Cancer Foundation (www.lazarex.org) is a 501(c)(3) non profit that was founded by Dana Dornsife, who is also President of the organization. She became a cancer advocate when her brother-in-law Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003 as she searched for options that would buy Mike and his family some additional time. Her dedication enabled Mike to live long enough so that his youngest daughter would have real memories of him, which she could keep throughout her life
