The diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer we’ve been waiting for may be on its way. If preliminary results are correct, there may be a 3-cent blood or urine test usable in routine screening that will catch pancreatic cancer in its early stages when it is most treatable. And that will be thanks to a 15-year old Maryland high school freshman.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network hosts educational events for patients and their loved ones in cities across the United States. They host educational lectures and seminars which are in-person opportunities for patients and families to learn about various topics related to pancreatic cancer from leaders in the field, and to join together in camaraderie. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network also offers webinars, where patients and caregivers can learn about various topics from the comfort of their homes

For further details, please visit www.pancan.org

According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for all stages of pancreatic cancer is a grim 6 percent. But now there is hope thanks to pioneering techniques and treatments developed at the Siteman Cancer Center! For more details, read “Increasing the Odds Against Pancreatic Cancer” article…

Many people believe there are no long-term survivors from pancreatic cancer — but thankfully, that’s not true. Ask Richard Luze, associate vice chancellor for development programs at Washington University, who is cancer-free six years after his diagnosis. He received aggressive therapy from Washington University specialist at the Siteman Cancer cneter and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “I was treated at one of the top places in the Untied States for pancreatic cancer, and some of the best doctors in the country were part of my medical team,” Luze says. “They were outstanding, and the care I received was wonderful.”

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s Patient Central is designed as the starting point for patients and their families and caregivers as they undertake their pancreatic cancer journey. By contacting Patient Central, patients and their families and caregivers can receive pancreatic cancer information which includes information about treatment options, diet and nutrition, symptom and pain management, pancreatic cancer specialists, and support resources.

It’s a dread disease. The fourth-highest cause of cancer deaths in the United States, it’s usually portrayed as an unstoppable, incurable killer. it has struck some high-profile figures: Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with it. Opera star Luiciano Pavarotti and former Ronald Reagan aide Michael Deaver died of it. So, too, on July 25th, did Randy Pausch, the former Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor whose “last lecture” before a university audience became a YouTube sensation and a bestselling book.