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/
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/
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/
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their family is presented with treatment options – often a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Radiation and chemotherapy have been used to treat kids’ cancers for more than 50 years and often come with long-term late effects including secondary cancers, heart damage and cognitive issues. Often a child’s best chance at survival is a clinical trial which offers them the newest treatment options available.
In recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation will highlight the critical need to fund lifesaving research and share stories of kids affected by cancer – like Micah, who is alive today because there was a clinical trial available.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8284352-st-baldricks-foundation-conquer-childhood-cancers/
