Our Mission
The Pancreatic Cancer Alliance exists to support the efforts of the medical and
research communities as well as patients and their loved ones in the battle against
pancreatic cancer.
Page updated:
April 20, 2008
Previous:
April 6, 2008
About this page:
This page contains summaries and links to recent news stories about pancreatic cancer and people dealing with the disease. It also has a list of links to obituaries of people who have been lost — to honor them and mark the continuing toll it takes without research breakthroughs. Links to company press releases, mainly from drug companies, are also included.
A cancer leaves few to lobby:
Pancreatic form so deadly, CMU prof is unusual in seeking a cure Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Comprehensive story starts out strong:
"When Randy Pausch testified to Congress a month ago about the need for more pancreatic cancer research money, the most unusual part of his appearance was the fact that he was there at all.
"Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest major malignancy on the face of the planet, killing 95 percent of its victims within five years.
"That means there are rarely survivors available to lobby on behalf of curing the disease, let alone a patient like Dr. Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer professor who last week released a book on his life story and was the focus of a major ABC TV special."
Story then goes into detail on why it's so lethal. Aside from being too often detected late, "pancreas tumors hijack the body's own defenses to prolong and spread the cancer.
" 'Pancreatic cancer is probably one of the most deadly cancers because it's resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, it spreads very quickly and the amount of actual cancer necessary to kill a person is very low,' " according to Dr. David Whitcomb, a cancer research director at UPMC's Hillman Cancer Center.
Story continues with information from researchers about avenues they are pursuing.
A troubling dose of reality on TV The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California
Review of "The Truth About Cancer," a PBS documentary that includes a pancreatic cancer patient. "Jamie Kleiman, 38, has pancreatic cancer that has spread to other organs. She has a difficult time convincing her father that there’s no doctor anywhere who holds the secret of her cure. 'I don't think there's anyone hiding the secret magic bean,' she says. But her father holds the very American attitude that you can control your destiny, and if you fight hard enough, you can beat cancer. That's what Lance Armstrong did, after all.
"But Kleiman has discovered the cruel difference between Armstrong's successful testicular cancer treatment and her own pancreatic cancer, unresponsive to chemotherapy. 'He had the most sensitive cancer to chemotherapy,' she says. 'It had nothing to do with the fact that he was an athlete.' "
April 11, 2008
Woman runs Marathon in honor of husband The Country Gazette, Franklin, Massachusetts
Dale Fingar, 47, is running the Boston Marathon in honor of her husband, Greg, 52, a 3-year survivor of pancreatic cancer. He's had surgeries to remove his pancreas, spleen, gall bladder and, most recently, part of his liver
"I was lucky," Greg said. He explained how, as part of a routine physical, his primary care physician noted that he had high platelets. In other words, he said, his blood was thicker than normal. He was referred to a hematologist, and it was through that doctor’s investigations that a "spot" was noticed on Greg’s pancreas.
April 8, 2008
Keeping Priorities Straight, Even at the End The New York Times, New York, New York
Terrific story on Dr. Randy Pausch, how his book "The Last Lecture" came together and what's truly important as he faces his diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer. "Dr. Pausch says he is trying to use his unexpected celebrity to draw attention to the lack of financing for pancreatic cancer research. Testifying before Congress on behalf of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org), he showed a picture of his family. 'This is my widow,' he said pointing to his wife, Jai. 'That’s not a grammatical construction you get to use every day, but there aren’t many diseases where you know it will be fatal.' "
>> The Last Lecture: A Love Story for Your Life, ABC News, April 9, includes links to video
Keansburg woman cured of pancreatic cancer Asbury Park Press, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Story about Donna Worth, 61, who 5 years ago went to the doctor complaining of pain and jaundice. It turned out to be pancreatic cancer, and was successfully treated with Whipple surgery, with no followup chemotherapy. The story reports: "She is, as her doctors say, cured."
Living out a dream: Degree conferred on man suffering from cancer The TribuneGreeley, Colorado
Lovely feature story on John Brandenberger, 46, from Stow, Mass., who was awareded a degree with honors from Aims Community College on March 5, just days before he died from pancreatic cancer. The degree was expoedited a bit, but, in the words of a friend: "It's the last thing I want to do if it kills me."
Hearst Foundations award $600,000 in Washington state Post-IntelligencerSeattle, Washington
Half of the total amount, or $300,000, went to Virginia Mason Medical Center to establish the Hearst Endowed Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Untimely death inspires pancreatic cancer activist The Cary News, Cary, North Carolina
Stoy on how Carol Birney got involved in fighting pancreatic cancer after her husband Thomas Birney died from the cancer seven years ago, only six weeks after being diagnosed.
Pancreatic cancer: 'Whipple Procedure,' other treatment advances improve outcomes Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas
Part of a package of stories on cancer survivors. Tom Jester, now 68, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than 6-1/2 years. Because arteries were wrapped around the tumor, surgery was delayed until after chemotherapy and radiation were used to shrink it.
Mr. Jester's surgeon offers some theories in the story: "Dr. Thomas Shires knows when he sees what he calls 'painless jaundice' that his patient has a better-than-average chance of survival.
"The chairman of the surgery department at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas says that when someone's eyes turn yellow but they have no significant discomfort, it often means a tumor on the pancreas has closed off the bile duct and he can perform the Whipple Procedure. In his operating room, the surgery survival rate is 99 percent; half of his patients live five years.
"The majority don't experience such a telling symptom. That's part of the reason pancreatic cancer proves so deadly. 'We have crummy early detection,' says Dr. Shires."
March 31, 2008
Tiny beads, big impact Herald Times Reporter, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Story about a patient with neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer that had spread to the liver (along with separate case of colon cancer) participating in a trial with TheraSphere radioactive beads to attack the metastases to his liver. The tumors in the pancreas and colon were attacked with surgery, but the spots on the liver were too numerous and chemo made him too sick.
"This therapy consists of very tiny glass beads that are delivered into the liver through a catheter in the blood vessels going to the liver," said Dr. William Rilling, interventional radiologist.
"They're radioactive glass beads. We calculate a target dose. It's a way to give a very high dose of radiation to the liver in a single outpatient treatment. This is much different than standard external beam radiation, which takes multiple trips to the hospital — sometimes up to six weeks of therapy."
Another advantage of the therapy is that tiny glass beads target the tumor, destroying or shrinking it, without affecting surrounding healthy liver tissue, he said.
Sparks beats the odds Cancer survivor about to celebrate 90th birthday The Marion Star, Marion, Ohio
Nice lead on the story: "Clyde Sparks has beat the odds nearly three times over for anyone diagnosed with pancreatic cancer." The 90-year-old man was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 13 years ago, had the Whipple surgery and a difficult recover. The story reports: "Following a six-week stay in the hospital, Sparks was dismissed. The doctors told the family they could give him radiation which would probably give them a year. That was more than 12 years ago." In the words of his daughter: "He's a walking miracle."
Smoking carries a deadly legacy The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon
Story about the lingering dangers of smoking starts with Kathy Conn, who came from a family of smokers and smoked until she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2002 when she was 48. With
radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, she beat back the pancreatic cancer only to be diagnosed with lung cancer as her pancreatic cancer treatment ended.
March 18, 2008
One Gene Closer to Understanding Pancreatic Cancer The New York Times, New York, New York
Fascinating Q&A with Dr. Terri Brentnall, 51, of the University of Washington, who has identified a gene that may be one cause of an inherited form of pancreatic cancer. Her key finding: "That we’d found a gene directly related to familial pancreatic cancer. ... That a mutated Palladin gene had predisposed at least one family to inherited pancreatic cancer and that abnormally high levels of the Palladin protein are found in noninherited or 'sporadic' pancreatic cancers."
'Where There's Hope...' Pilot Tribune, Storm Lake, Iowa
Students of high school art teacher Anita Coon are coming together to rally in support of her recovery from pancreatic cancer. Coon has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments at the oncology department at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center every other week. Coon will undergo three more sessions of treatments and then will head to MD Anderson Clinic in Houston, Texas, where she will meet with doctors who specialize in pancreatic cancer.
March 13, 2008
Congress hears testimony of professor Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch, battling pancreatic cancer, testified before Congress, urging more funding for pancreatic cancer research. In his appearance before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, Dr. Pausch said that pancreatic cancer gets a paltry share of research funding, and it needs to attract more young researchers using newer techniques.
Of the $4.8 billion Congress has appropriated for the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Pausch — famed for his "last lecture" — told the committee, less than 2 percent is being spent on pancreatic cancer research.
>> April 8 Release for 'Last Lecture' Book Co-Written by 'WSJ' Columnist
Cell-surface protein controls aggressiveness of cancer The Johns Hopkins Newsletter, Baltimore, Maryland
A team of researchers has uncovered an important factor in the severity of pancreatic cancer.
It is thought that loss of the E-Cadherin protein allows cancer cells to be more mobile, thus allowing them to escape the primary tumors and metastasize or spread to other parts of the body.
Insights found stemming from this research will provide new avenues for pancreatic cancer treatments.
March 11, 2008
Doctors Evaluate Toad Venom as Potential Cancer Cure ABC News
Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, iso test whether todd venom, a traditional Chinese medicine, can fight some of the deadliest cancers, including pancreatic. "There is research showing it induces apoptosis, which is spontaneous cell death, and there is research showing there is a decrease in the proliferation of cancer cells," Cohen said.
One pancreatic cancer survivor tells how he did it: Ignore all the horror tales Daily News, New York
Story leads with 5-year survivor Allan Pilson, 65, and says he focused on one thing as he was pumped full of chemotherapy: "I tried not to think about the statistics." Story then goes on to recount the statistics and the challenges in improving survival. Unfortunately, it does not provide much info on the treatment Mr. Piston had. This is it: "Today, after surgery, five months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation, Piston's only reminder of his ordeal is the enzyme pills he swallows to help his digestion." His advice: "Do not allow your imagination to run away with you," he said. "Listen to your doctor, take the treatment and be positive."
Hopeless no longer The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ
Comprehensive story on state of pancreatic care, covering the challenges of treating the disease, some promising research initiatives and explaining the current predicatment of low federal funding in comparison to other cancers. Also interviews two patients being treated with the GTX (gemcitabine, docetaxel and capecitabine) regimen. "Like most oncologists, I felt that treating pancreatic cancer was an exercise in futility," says one oncologist in the story. "My heart wasn't in it. Now I tell my patients that I cannot cure them but I can prolong their survival and make them feel better."
Fluorouracil vs Gemcitabine Chemotherapy Before and After Fluorouracil-Based Chemoradiation Following Resection of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma The Journal of the American Medical Association,
Report on a study done to see whether the addition of gemcitabine to adjuvant fluorouracil chemoradiation (chemotherapy plus radiation) improves survival for patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: The addition of gemcitabine to adjuvant fluorouracil-based chemoradiation was associated with a survival benefit for patients with resected pancreatic cancer, although this improvement was not statistically significant.
February 29, 2008
AMA president diagnosed with pancreatic cancer The Associated Press
Officials at the American Medical Association say the group's president has pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Ronald Davis, 51, will continue to serve as president of the nation's largest doctors group, but his activities will be limited while he begins treatment.
February 25, 2008
The Web gives boomer caregivers a boost The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts
When Steven Dworkin's father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2005, he and his two siblings began to share in his care. But Dworkin was in Massachusetts, his parents lived in Florida, and his brother and sister were in Connecticut. That experience led to the development of Caregiver Helper (caregiverhelper.com), a secure online community resource that houses information about medications being taken, emergency contacts, doctor's appointments, and even the patient's favorite activities.
February 18, 2008
Insurance a prime weapon against cancer The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia
Cancer patients with private insurance are much more likely to be diagnosed early, giving them a greater chance of long-term survival, a study by the American Cancer Society shows.
Conversely, uninsured Americans and those with Medicaid are much more likely to have advanced forms of the most common cancers by the time they seek treatment.
The correlation was especially noticeable in colon, breast and prostate cancer, which frequently can be diagnosed early by routine screening, and in diseases such as lung and bladder cancer, which are often caught when patients seek treatment for early symptoms.
Disparities in diagnosis by insurance status were less pronounced in pancreatic and ovarian cancer, which are rarely diagnosed in anyone until the later stages.
February 16, 2008
Booming voice again fills cavernous Dome The News Tribune, Tacoma, Washington
Wrestling announcer and actor Ed Aliverti, 75, is back after treatment for pancreatic cancer:
"Aliverti felt sick in September 2006 after performing Broadway-style musicals on a cruise ship. ...
" 'We caught it by accident, we caught it early,' said Aliverti. 'I had intensive treatment for a year and the wonderful people at Virginia Mason say I’m cancer-free.' "
February 14, 2008
Lawmaker upbeat over cancer fight The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, Indiana
State Sen. David Ford says his chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer appears to be working. "Each day, I feel a little stronger," the 58-year-old Republican told Senate colleagues by telephone.
February 6, 2008
Preview: Young and the Restless' "Dynamite" Twist TV Guide
Webmaster's note —This kind of stuff infuriates me, pancreatic cancer as random plot point:
"The Young and the Restless will bring back the marvelous Signy Coleman as blind heroine Hope Adams. But, after just a week, the character — a major fan favorite from the '90s — is going to die on screen from pancreatic cancer.
" 'It's welcome back, now get the hell out of here!' says Coleman."
It'll air Feb. 11
Common ground: Grief and fear touch families hit by pancreatic cancer in Oroville area The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California
Comprehensive story on people and families hit with pancreatic cancer near Oroville, Calif. State and county health officials will be investigating an unusual concentration of pancreatic cancer diagnoses and deaths — 23 people in 2004-05, more than twice what would be expected, trying to determine if there's an environmental cause. PCP, benzene, copper, chromium and arsenic are some of the chemicals connected to a Superfund site in the area.
>> Biographies of pancreatic cancer victims
January 25, 2008
Diabetes might predict pancreatic cancer Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minnesota
"Researchers at Mayo Clinic say late-onset diabetes might, in some cases, predict pancreatic cancer.
"Dr. Suresh Chari and his research team are seeking a cost-effective screening tool using a blood test. "Of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, 40 percent had also been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes — some up to two years before their cancer diagnosis. ...
" 'We are now quite convinced that in most patients with pancreatic cancer the diabetes is caused by the cancer and not the other way around,' Chari said in an announcement of the findings."
Cancer diagnosis? Get second ... third ... fourth opinion Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Arresting story on a second opinion clinic at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, opens with a woman's treatment for pancreatic cancer being abruptly halted when doctors realized she instead had a form of pancreatitis.
January 15, 2008
Marilyn Horne on her cancer treatment The Associated Press
Terrific story. For the first time opera legend Marilyn Horne, 74, talks about the treatments she received for the pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed in December 2005. First, she underwent radiation and chemotherapy at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for nine months, shrinking the tumor enough for it to be removed. She then enrolled in a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins of a cancer vaccine, receiving injections every two months for a half year, and now getting additional doses twice a year.
"Essentially, the vaccine teaches the immune system to recognize those pancreas cancer cells as being foreign and attack them specifically," says Dr. Daniel Laheru, a Johns Hopkins oncologist leading the study. "Her most important treatment was the surgery, but we hope the vaccine is additional insurance against recurrence."
And she's incredibly busy, the story reports: "She travels between homes in New York and California, teaching at Carnegie Hall and various colleges and running a summer school and festival in Santa Barbara, Calif."
Her approach to her life after a cancer diagnosis: "I don't think it's 'I want to live' — it's 'I'm going to live!' "
January 13, 2008
Walking for a cure The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts
Kathleen Granara-Skerry, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago, has fought back with surgery and a year of chemo and radiation treatments. She's also fought back through walkathons, recently raising $100,000 for pancreatic cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The 2008 Granara-Skerry Walk for Pancreatic Cancer Research, will take place on Sept. 27 in Medford, Mass. Email Granara-SkerryWalk@comcast.net for details.
January 11, 2008
Clinical Trials Offer Patients Hope NBC17, Raleigh, North Carolina
Story, with video, on what clinical trials offer. Features pancreatic cancer patient Rich Csarny, who, after surgery and almost two years of radiation and chemotherapy, has enrolled in two clinical trials at Duke University Medical Center new drugs can mean renewed hope.
"I wanted more and I considered that my life was not finished. I was not going to give in to this, and I saw that there was hope in trials being offered and that there was success," Csarny said. "I also saw that cancer was being treated more and more as if it was a chronic disease and not a death sentence."
Study Gives Hope For Pancreatic Cancer Patients CBS4Denver, Denver, Colorado
New treatment being studied in Colorado enabled one patient with inoperable pancreatic cancer to later have surgery to remove the tumor. In addition to radiation and chemotherapy, according to the story, the treatment involves delivering "an investigational gene-based drug that kills cancer cells ... directly into the tumor through a tube down [the patient's] throat." Story includes video.
January 8, 2008
Spike in cancers probed: Possible environmental factors sought in Oroville-area cases The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California
California health officials are looking for a possible environmental cause in a cancer spike near Oroville. State cancer data show 23 cases of pancreatic cancer in 2004 and 2005, twice the number that would be expected for the neighborhood in question. "The decision to probe further in the Oroville area focuses attention on a now-shuttered wood preservation treatment plant, and whether contamination from the site may have caused long-term health problems for area residents." A state official says in the story that a cause may never be found and that the spike could be a statistical aberration.
January 7, 2008
Bluffton woman’s legacy provides comfort and warmth for children The Bluffton News-Banner, Bluffton, Indiana
Long-time quilter Carol Vore died of pancreatic cancer at age 68 in early December, and was diagnosed just in August. She felt a sense of urgency to get as many quilts as possible made while she still could sew. She read on the Internet about Project Linus, a nonprofit group that provides handmade blankets and quilts to seriously ill, grieving or traumatized infants and children. Vore decided to devote the rest of her days to making quilts for Project Linus, completing 16 with 8 more needing finishing touches.
Cancer drug wins financing Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Cellectar Inc. raised $13 million to start a clinical trial for its lead cancer product, known as CLR 1404, which uses fat-like molecules to deliver radioisotopes that can either destroy malignant cells or enable imaging equipment to locate them. The story says the molecules can quickly move through normal cells but concentrate in cancer cells. Cellectar plans to submit CLR 1404 to the Food and Drug Administration to get investigational drug status, with hopes of entering Phase 1 clinical trials this summer for two cancers - a type of lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.
ORLive Presents: Whipple Procedure for Pancreatic Cancer Press release
From the operating room at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore watch H. Richard Alexander, M.D., a surgical oncologist and a professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, perform a Whipple procedure on a patient with pancreatic cancer. Press release has a good description of what the surgery involves.
>> Whipple Procedure for Pancreatic Cancer, archived video of operation
Family celebrates a father's gift of life Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Washington
Nice column about a 59-year-old retired firefighter with pancreatic cancer, seeing a holiday they said he wouldn't live to see. In October he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver. Doctors told him the cancer was incurable and inoperable. But he's undergone chemo, liver function has improved and he's feeling better.
December 21, 2007
Allergies may protect against pancreatic cancer Reuters
Having a history of allergies or hay fever may offer protection from pancreatic cancer. Investigators in a Canadian study found that a history of allergies or hay fever was associated with a 57 percent reduction in the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Men Carry Breast Cancer Genes, Too The Associated Press
"Doctors are encouraging a new group of people to consider getting tested for genes that raise the risk of breast cancer: men. Male relatives of women with such genes often do not realize that they, too, may carry them, and face greater odds of developing male breast cancer, as well as prostate, pancreatic and skin cancer, new research suggests. "The BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 genes markedly raise the risk of breast cancer and are most prevalent among those of Eastern European Jewish descent. In men, they double the normal risk of prostate cancer, triple the risk of pancreatic cancer and make breast cancer seven times more likely to develop."
December 5, 2007
State Senior Games Naples Daily News, Naples, Florida
Two years after having Whipple surgery for pancreatic cancer, Robert Farnsworth, 77, won the Horseshoes gold medal in his age group for the second consecutive year. "I’ve been living great for the last two years and blessed to still be pitching," he said.
Cancer of pancreas 'found too late' for treatment The Irish Independent, Dublin, Ireland
Most Irish people who develop pancreatic cancer are diagnosed too late to receive any treatment beyond palliative care to allow them cope with the final stages of the disease, a conference on the disease was told. but since 1998, the percentage receiving treatment for the disease has risen to 25 percent from 15 percent. According to the story, "There are around 386 cases of pancreatic cancer here annually and 345 people die from the condition."
Cancer cells softer than healthy cells: study Reuters
Cancer cells, like ripe fruit, are much softer than healthy cells, scientists said in a finding that could help doctors diagnose tumors and figure out which might be the deadliest. The researchers used a nanotechnology device and found cancer cells taken from people with pancreatic, breast and lung tumors were more than 70 percent softer than benign cells.
The technique may represent a new method for detecting cancer, particularly in cells from body cavity fluids for which diagnosis with current techniques can be difficult, the researchers said.
Conventional diagnostic methods miss about 30 percent of cases in which cancer cells are present in this fluid, the researchers said.
Magowitz event raises $300K to fight pancreatic cancer Furniture Today
A rare rainstorm here washed out the golf portion of the Seena Magowitz Golf Classic, but the event still raised almost $300,000 for the fight against pancreatic cancer. The event was begun by bedding Mattress Discounters retailer Roger Magowitz to honor his mother, Seena, who died of pancreatic cancer.
November 26, 2007
NCCN Updates Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Guidelines National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announced updates to its Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Guideline, which are widely recognized and applied as the standard of care in oncology in the United States.
"The guidelines feature a new section covering principles of palliation and supportive care. This is an especially important addition since a significant subset of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer will require substantial palliative interventions, including management of symptoms due to biliary obstruction, gastric outlet obstruction and severe tumor-associated abdominal pain.
"In addition, greater emphasis has been placed on the use of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The new version of the guidelines contains a separate decision pathway to provide more specific guidance when neoadjuvant therapy is planned for patients with borderline resectable disease. This pathway includes a clarifying, corresponding footnote stating that 'The majority of NCCN institutions prefer upfront neoadjuvant therapy in the setting of borderline resectable disease.' "
Nov. 21, 2007
Hyperion Gets Last Lecture for $6.7 Million The Book Standard
Hyperion won the auction for Carnegie Mellon computer science professor Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dream." After Pausch, 46, who has pancreatic cancer, gave his lecture on Sept. 18 a video of the talk appeared online and Pausch appeared on shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America and CBS News with Katie Couric. The book, which will be a collaboration of Pausch's lecture and Wall Street Journal columnist Jeff Zaslow, who wrote about the lecture, will use the speech as a starting point.
Nov. 19, 2007
Corona woman campaigns against cancer that killed husband The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, California
Profile of Elizabeth Rivers-Whiteley who has been driven to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and money to fight it since losing her husband Steve at age 49 in January 2005, just five days after he was diagnosed with the disease.
Nov. 13, 2007
Roche says Avastin study misses endpoint in phase III trial Forbes, New York, New York
"Roche Holdings AG said that a phase III trial of Avastin in combination treatment with gemcitabine chemotherapy and Tarceva for pancreatic cancer did not meet the primary endpoint for survival.
The trial — which compared gemcitabine chemotherapy and Tarceva with or without Avastin as first-line treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer — showed Avastin neither improved progression-free nor overall survival."
Nov. 9, 2007
'Raise Your Voice' to fight pancreatic cancer Central Kitsap Reporter, Kitsap, Washington
Feature on PanCAN's "Raise Your Voice" campaign with information on the "Picture yourself purple," fund-raising event planned for Nov. 15.
Nov. 8, 2007
A Human Touch:
'Curious’ brings the high science of JPL and Caltech down to Earth Pasadena Weekly, Pasadena, California
Public Television program includes a segment on pancreatic cancer patient Ray Natha, first to use IT 101, an experimental drug. Natha's cancer had spread to his lung and he was no longer responding to chemo, so this was seen as his last hope
"The filmmakers followed [Mark] Davis [professor of chemical engineering at Caltech who developed the drug] and Natha through six months of infusions and were at City of Hope when everyone learned that the nanoparticle Davis created stopped further tumor growth and then started killing Natha’s tumors. Natha and his wife shed tears at the good news and the prognosis of a longer life."
Nov. 6, 2007
Local Doctor Gives Cancer Patients New Hope KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
"Through digital imaging, Dr. [Jerome] Canady has been able to remove cancers that most doctors say are inoperable," the television report claims. " 'We utilize this three dimensional views of the liver or pancreas or the vessels in the GI tract to basically see how the tumor is encompassing around the vessel or basically how to get an anatomical view of how you are going to operate on these people,' said Dr. Canady," who works at Monongahela Valley Hospital. Site includes link to video.
Nov. 1, 2007
Nanotubes seen as new weapon in cancer fight The Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas
"In a paper posted online by the journal Cancer, a team at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University reported that the technique [nanotubes heated by radio waves] destroyed liver cancer tumors in rabbits and caused no side effects. It is thought to hold the same potential for many other cancers. ... "The paper also described lab experiments in which two lines of liver cancer cells and one pancreatic cancer cell line were destroyed after being incubated with nanotubes and exposed to the radio-frequency field."
October 31, 2007
Scientist find link between body fat and cancer risk The Independent, London, UK
"Researchers say there is 'convincing. evidence that excess body fat can cause six different types of common cancers, including those affecting the breast, bowel and pancreas. ... "A specific strong link is said to exist between fat around the abdomen and bowel cancer. There is also a probable connection between body fat and gall bladder cancer, and abdominal fat and pancreatic, post-menopausal breast, and endometrial cancer, the evidence suggests."
Valley woman cleans up in lottery Los Angeles Times,Los Angeles, California
Businesswoman Zorina Kroop won $60 million in the California lottery. Among her plans for the money is to help fund research into pancreatic cancer, the disease that took her husband's life more than a quarter-century ago.
Cancer walk draws 10,000 Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Massachusetts
For the ninth annual Walk to Cure Cancer, held at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Joan Trottier and Lynne Zucchie of Grafton wanted to do something to support their best friend, Carole Boutiette, 49, who is battling pancreatic cancer. In less than four weeks they put together a team of 72 friends and family members and raised more than $6,000 in Ms. Boutiette’s honor.
Event
>> Auction to benefit cancer network, Southboro, Mass., through Oct. 20
Cause & effects Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, Illinois
While cancer treatments have gotten gentler over the years, several newer therapies carry with them side effects harsh enough to make patients discontinue their use. Story includes discussion of effects of Erbitux on a pancreatic cancer patient, which included eye problems and a painful acne-like skin rash. Christine Sienkiewicz, 55, was able to get the symptoms under control, enabling her to continue treatment. "I've been lucky," Sienkiewicz added. "My oncologists tell me they expect me to be in their follow-up file instead of their active file."
Lecture will be Carnegie Mellon prof's farewell Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor will give his last lecture on campus, titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." He expects to die from pancreatic cancer in a few months. "It's not my preferred situation, to be sure," Pausch, 47, said in an e-mail interview. "I have no 'unfinished business' or 'things I need to do before I die' for my own self. I've always tried to live my life with no regrets."
Press release
>> A Beloved Professor Delivers
The Lecture of a Lifetime, He knew his mom was proud of him when he got his Ph.D, he said, despite how she'd introduce him: "This is my son. He's a doctor, but not the kind who helps people," Wall
Street Journal, Sept. 20,
>> Dying Professor's Lecture of a Lifetime Though he achieved most of his childhood dreams, Randy Pausch flashed his rejection letters on a screen and talked about career setbacks: "Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls aren't there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want things," Good Morning America, ABC News, Sept. 21
>> Professor's Full Lecture, ABC News video
September 13, 2007
Craig’s Cause creates foundation for cancer cure
The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Craig's Cause was started by Stefanie Condon-Oldreive in memory of her father Craig Condon, to raise money for Canadian pancreatic cancer research, and provide information from a Canadian perspective. According to the site there are 3,500 cases f p[ancreatic cancer diagnosed in Canada each year, with 3,400 deaths.
>> Craig's Cause
>> Woman launches bike tour in memory of dad
September 12, 2007
McNairs' $100 million another boost for Baylor Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas
Houston Texans owner Robert McNair and his wife are giving $100 million to the Baylor College of Medicine, equaling its largest donation ever. The gift, made through the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, will fund research into breast cancer, pancreatic cancer (which killed her father), juvenile diabetes and the neurosciences.
September 9, 2007
Live a little: We'll always have Paris The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey
Leslie Brody's excellent series on cancer from the caregiver's point of view continues with a look at how priorities get reset. Her husband, fighting pancreatic cancer, needs something to look forward to, a trip to Paris. "And so, I'm excited but daunted to report, we are planning a lovely week in Paris next month, squeezed in between the exhausting chemo treatments that Elliot endures every two weeks. This trip is a big splurge — we're in journalism, not investment banking — but we're determined to make the most of the time he feels well and wants to frolic. My internal grasshopper has trampled my inner ant."
>> Caring for caregivers, July 29
>> Illness takes toll on caregivers, July 15
>> A guide to what to say, May 20
Lions security director, wife tackle cancer Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan
Ricky Sandoval, Detroit Lions director of security, is fighting pancreatic cancer, and helping others along with his wife, Gael. "When Sandoval, who's 6-4 and 301 pounds, was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, he and his wife immediately agreed that, upon hearing that just 7% beat the disease, Ricky was going to be part of that 7%."
they raised $50,000 at a golf tournament for PanCAN recently. "Ricky Sandoval said of the outing: 'It's not as much for me. I'm go to be here 20, 30 years from now. It's for the research needed for people who get this cancer after me.' "
Researchers link gestational diabetes to cancer Reuters
Women who had gestational diabetes when pregnant may be at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a research study. The researchers traced health records of nearly 40,000 women who gave birth between 1964 and 1976 in Jerusalem as part of a study, of those of 410 women diagnosed with gestational diabetes in one or more pregnancy, five got pancreatic cancer. The findings represent a statistically significant level of risk and merit further study of links between the two diseases, the study leader said. She added that the absolute risk was very low.
Deadly Inheritance, Desperate Trade-Off The New York Times, New York, New York
Story on how some members of families at high risk of pancreatic cancer try to prevent the malignancy: "by finding precancerous growths and removing all or part of the pancreas to get rid of them. So far, about 20 people have had the preventive surgery at Johns Hopkins, and a small number of others have undergone it at other centers.
"In essence, these patients are trading the risk of cancer for the reality of diabetes, and their willingness to do it is a measure of the fear and desperation that pancreatic cancer provokes."
>> In a Former First Family, Cancer Has a Grim Legacy, President Carter lost his father, two sisters and his brother to pancreatic cancer.
August 1, 2007
Promising way to detect pancreatic cancer explored Reuters
Researchers reported they could detect even early stage pancreatic cancer by analyzing light patterns they reflected off the lining of the duodenum, a part of the digestive tract next to the pancreas, they wrote in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. But there is a lot more to prove before these findings make it to the clinic, added Dr. Kenneth Hung of Harvard University, who was not involved in the research. What worked in this small study may be difficult to reproduce for wide-scale testing.
July 29, 2007
Cancer Patients, Lost in a Maze of Uneven Care The New York Times, New York, New York
While not specifically about pancreatic cancer, the stories summarize the reality of a cancer diagnosis:
"Cancer, more than almost any other disease, can be overwhelmingly complicated to treat. Patients are often stunned to learn that they will need not just one doctor, but at least three: a surgeon and specialists in radiation and chemotherapy. Diagnosis and treatment require a seemingly endless stream of appointments. Doctors do not always agree, and patients may find that at the worst time in their lives, when they are ill, frightened and most vulnerable, they also have to seek second opinions on biopsies and therapy, fight with insurers and sort out complex treatment options."
>> Doing Battle With the Insurance Company in a Fight to Stay Alive, battle won by pancreatic cancer patient — five years ago. "In June, Mr. Hendrickson went back to M. D. Anderson for a five-year checkup with his surgeon. 'He told me that I was cured of pancreatic cancer.' "
>> What You Should Know: Push Hard for the Answers You Require
Caring for caregivers The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey
Leslie Brody's series on cancer from the caregivers point of view continues: "Caregivers perform triage constantly as they weigh responsibilities at work against commitments to sick family members. I've had my share of angst this way. When April's nor'easter poured water into our basement, I felt torn. Should I slog in to work to help cover the floods or stay home with my husband, who has pancreatic cancer? I wanted to do my share when news demanded a huge team effort, but I felt guilty leaving him home alone to bail out the basement. Elliot urged me to go that morning, and fortunately, he managed on his own."
>> Illness takes toll on caregivers, July 15
>> A guide to what to say, May 20
July 27, 2007
Rash means cancer drug Tarceva is working Reuters
"The development of a skin rash in patients with pancreatic cancer or lung cancer treated with Tarceva is a strong indication that the drug is working, report researchers from OSI Pharmaceuticals, the drug's developer."
July 23, 2007
Doctors step up pancreatic cancer fight Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas
Story written in light of high profile cases in Houston: "Openly discouraged by decades of failure, pancreatic cancer doctors are calling for new approaches in the war against the deadly disease.
"The 'need to think outside the box,' as one specialist puts it, comes shortly after two drugs that had been seen as possible magic bullets [Avastin and Erbitux] fared poorly in high-profile trials and as the disease continues to kill most of its victims within a year after diagnosis. ...
"To that end, the National Cancer Institute has scheduled an invitation-only meeting for this fall in Bethesda, Md., where top researchers from around the world will brainstorm. An organizer promised the session will yield new plans of action and marching orders — not just be a series of lectures."
>> Channel 13's Marvin Zindler dies at 85
July 17, 2007
Battling cancer: Former newscaster Ann Moore hopes her Web site helps others The Evansville Courier & Press, Evansville, Indiana
Ann Moore, a former television newscaster, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late May.
Last week, her daughter, Erin, launched a Web site with links to resources, a guest book, a blog and information about Moore and her family. Moore intends to expand the site in coming months, adding information about finding and enrolling in clinical trials. She is part of a clinical trial at Indiana University Medical Center that involves a new combination of chemotherapy, radiation and medicine. Her cancer is considered inoperable at the moment.
>> www.annmoore.org
July 16, 2007
U.Va.'s Ryan earned Hall induction Daily Press, Newport News, Virginia
Debbie Ryan, inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame i, "played pancreatic cancer to a standoff seven years ago, which helped transform her from outwardly fiery to more tranquilly focused and appreciative of each day."
July 15, 2007
Living with cancer: Illness takes toll on caregivers The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey
An excellent first-person story from caregiver Leslie Brody, part of a series. It begins:
"When I was a teenager, watching my puppy get a shot once made me faint.
"Being squeamish is a luxury I can no longer afford, now that I'm trying to help my brave husband keep his cancer under control. ...
"This is one of many new things I've learned, somewhat against my will, since Elliot was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nearly a year ago.
"I've also learned the quickest route to the emergency room at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, how to cook low-fat, easy-to-digest meals and how to keep from crying when I'm driving and thinking about what it might feel like if, at the end of all this, I am left alone."
>> A guide to what to say, May 20
Analysis: Genes aimed at pancreatic tumors UPI
Pancreatic cancer tumors shrink or disappear in animals treated with a molecularly engineered therapy that attacks the malignancy without impacting healthy tissues, researchers said.
"This is very promising and we are very excited about this treatment, but we had to be careful in letting patients know that we are at least a year to a year and a half before we will be able to treat people with this experimental therapy," said James Abbruzzese, professor and chairman of the gastrointestinal medical oncology department at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Researchers at M.D. Anderson used genetic and molecular engineering to create a therapy that selectively attacks pancreatic cancer cells but doesn't destroy healthy tissue in the mouse model used in the pre-clinical tests.
The work involves packaging a targeting agent known as a promoter, two components that boost gene expression and a payload that consists of a gene known to kill cancer cells. It is all wrapped up in a liposome — a fat molecule — that can be injected intravenously into the patient.
July 5, 2007
Channel 13's Marvin Zindler on the air despite cancer Houston Chronicle, Houston,
Legendary Houston newsman Marvin Zindler is suffering from pancreatic cancer. Zindler, who turns 86 on Aug. 10, said in a report filed a newscast on KTRK that the cancer has spread to his liver, calling it "a serious, serious problem."
Needhamite trains for bike-a-thon while battling cancer Needham Times, Needham, Massachusetts
Amazing person, read the story: "Pamela Chen no longer wants to know the odds, because she has already beaten them. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer almost a year ago, Chen outlived her doctors’ expectations and is training to ride 84 miles in the two-day Pan-Massachusetts Challenge bike-a-thon in August, despite still living with the terminal illness."
Pancreatic cancer surgery overlooked The Associated Press
Nearly 40 percent of patients with early pancreatic cancer who could be treated with surgery don't get the operation, dooming them to grim chances of survival, a study found.
The complicated so-called Whipple operation is tricky but safer than previously thought and can extend life, although chances of surviving five years are still not great. Still, about 30 percent of patients with early-stage disease who get the operation can be expected to survive at least five years, compared with less than 5 percent of early-stage patients who don't get the operation, the study found. ... Dr. Suresh Chari a pancreatic cancer specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said the study results were unexpected. "I was surprised that so many of the primary physicians don't even think of referring the patient to a major center" for surgery, Chari said.
June 11, 2007
Nanocurry vs. Cancer Technology Review, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Laboratory and animal studies have suggested that curcumin — the pigment that gives the Indian curry spice turmeric its bright-yellow hue — may have some power to kill tumors.
But because curcumin is insoluble, it mostly passes through the gut without making it into the bloodstream. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Delhi, in India, have invented curcumin-carrying nanospheres that could far more easily slip into the bloodstream. The nanospheres open up the possibility that low doses of oral curcumin could be used far more widely in clinical trials, a key step toward getting the ingredient from the spice aisle to the pharmacist's shelf. Animal studies are set to begin to determine whether nanocurcumin has any effect against pancreatic tumors in mice.
June 5, 2007
Press release
>> 'National Failure' in Treatment of Early Pancreatic Cancer, more than half of eligible patients with operable, early-stage pancreatic cancer don't undergo potentially life-extending surgery, suggests a study published by the Annals of Surgery
Auxvasse students raise $5,000, fight cancer in teacher's memory The Fulton Sun, Fulton, Missouri
"Dying from cancer, Joy Thompson still found a way to educate.
The former Auxvasse Elementary School teacher spent her final months instructing 'her kids' about cancer research and the need for public awareness - a lesson Thompson knew would make it easier for them to cope with her death. Thompson died in April, nine months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She would have turned 54 years old this past Thursday. To commemorate Thompson's birthday, the school hosted a mini Relay for Life that raised more than $5,000 to help find a cure for cancer."
May 15, 2007
Cancer Vaccines Are Proving Their Mettle HealthDay News
In one report at American Association of Cancer Research's annual meeting in Los Angeles, a team led by Andrew Lepisto from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, presented the results of a phase I trial of a vaccine for pancreatic cancer. In that trial, Lepisto's team gave an immune cell-based vaccine to 12 cancer patients who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer. "Patients who are eligible for surgery represent about 20 percent of all pancreatic cancer patients," Lepisto said during a teleconference. The five-year survival rate after surgery is only about 20 percent, he said.
"We extended patients' lives from a 20 percent five-year survival rate to over 42 percent. There are five patients who are long-term survivors."
May 1, 2007
Foundation grants cancer patient's wish to say goodbye St. Cloud Times, St. Cloud, Minnesota
Ruth Freese, 43, who's having a tough fight with pancreatic cancer, is reunited with her biological sister with help from Fairygodmother Foundation.
US scientists find pancreatic cancer clues Reuters
Ohio State University report finds a certain pattern found in a microRNA — a short ribonucleic acid molecule — may help tell the difference between chronic pancreatitis, an acute inflammation, and pancreatic cancer, thus helping distinguish long- and short-term survival time for patients with the cancer.
April 29, 2007
A rare recovery:
Surviving a deadly form of cancer inspires Brandon woman to help others fight Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
feature story on 6-year survivor of pancreatic cancer featured in TV ads for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Peggy Kessler was given 2 months to live in 2001, now 47 doctor's say she's in complete remission. "You're never back to normal after cancer," she said. "It's a new normal." Story does not give details of her treatment, but summarizes this way: "Kessler's chemotherapy treatments involved pumping the drugs into her arteries directly to the pancreas and liver. In addition to the intense treatments, Kessler also received naturopathic, psychological, nutritional and spiritual care."
April 25, 2007
Press release
>> Tarceva Extends Life of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer, in study "adding Tarceva (erlotinib) to gemcitabine chemotherapy significantly improves survival by 22 percent in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer"
Hawai'i/California study: veggies, fruits cut cancer risk The Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu, Hawaii
"Eating your broccoli, as well as other vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of multiple types of cancer, according to studies presented at the American Association for Cancer Research.
"A diet high in flavonols — chemicals found in broccoli, onions, apples and berries — cut the risk of pancreatic cancer by 23 percent compared with people who ate the least."
Press release
>> Johns Hopkins develops pancreas cancer risk model, "People with a family history of pancreas cancer now have a way to accurately predict their chance of carrying a gene for hereditary pancreas cancer and their lifetime risk of developing the disease. Developed by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers, the novel computer software tool is designed to help genetic counselors and physicians decide who would most benefit from early screening."
Erbitux fails pancreatic cancer trial Reuters
ImClone Systems Inc. said that a late-stage trial of its cancer drug Erbitux failed to extend survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. The 700-patient trial compared Erbitux in combination with Gemzar, or gemcitabine, with gemcitabine alone in patients whose cancer could not be surgically treated or had spread to other parts of the body. ImClone said it was not giving up on pancreatic cancer, and plans to test the drug in combination with Avastin either with or without gemcitabine.
Cancer, Up Close And Personal CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News Producer Diane Ronnau is back at work after battling pancreatic cancer for a year. 'I would say to myself all the time, "Cancer better be afraid of me because I am ready for the good fight," and it's true — I was.' ...
"' I'd like to be a walking miracle. I'd like to feel that way, but I don't," Ronnau says. 'I feel like a walking producer. I'm happy to do that, that's fine, and that's good enough.' "
March 27, 2007
Cancer drug by UA prof may reach market by 2010 Tucson Citizen, Tucson, Arizona
"Laurence H. Hurley vowed to find a cure for cancer after his father was stricken with fatal pancreatic cancer.
"The 1975 pledge by the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy professor continues to grind toward reality.
"Hurley's anti-cancer agent is set to begin U.S. Food and Drug Administration phase 2 clinical trials to prove its effectiveness after successfully completing phase 1 human clinical trials to prove its safety.
"Dubbed CX 3543, the drug is designed to hit defined molecular targets in cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed."
March 21, 2007
A deadly cancer, a winning fight
A dose of naturopathy gives man a second chance at life Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Washington
After five months of treatment, pancreatic cancer had spread and his doctor predicted Aaron Barrett, 35, would be dead within weeks. He sought one last treatment, untested and controversial according to the story, at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center. The new treatment included chemotherapy, but lower doses, more frequently and incorporated the services of a naturopath (customized nutritional, dietary and lifestyle care). From the story: "The chemotherapy, also called dose-density or metronomic treatment, has shown some success in trials with lung and breast cancer patients. But it is far from being cancer's gold standard. And for pancreatic cancer, where patients usually are diagnosed at its end stages and given barely six months to live, low-dose chemotherapy brings skepticism from many oncologists. ...
"Barrett received chemotherapy from the end of January 2005 through last August and progressed from being bedridden to sitting up in a wheelchair, to using a walker, to walking with a cane.
"Now, 2 1/2 years after his initial diagnosis, Barrett is alive, walking on his own and virtually cancer free, (oncologist Dr. Ben) Chue said. The 10-centimeter tumor in his liver has shrunk to 2 centimeters. All other tumors in his pancreas and other organs are gone.
" 'Once every 25 to 30 years, you'll see (a pancreatic cancer patient) make it to two years with traditional treatment,' he said. 'With this new treatment, I've seen my one and many more.' "
Sandoval honored with Ed Block award The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Sun
One of the honorees at the Ed Block Courage Awards — and the first non player — was Detroit Lions' Ricky Sandoval, the team's security director who was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer in April. The awards recognize one representative from each NFL team who symbolizes courage and sportsmanship while serving as an inspiration in the locker room. From the story:
"Told that the survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients was between 4 and 7 percent, Sandoval — according to former Lions coach Steve Mariucci, who presented the award — said: 'You know what? That means I've got a chance.' " Lions players nominated Sandoval for the award.
Event
>> Hoops for a Cure, March 30 event for Arenson Foundation
March 20, 2007
Pancreatic cancer protein discovered United Press International
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center researchers have found an overexpressed protein protects pancreatic cancer cells from self-destructing, negating one of the body's natural defenses. The protein tissue transglutaminase, or TG2, previously was found to be overexpressed in a variety of drug-resistant cancer cells and in metastasized cancer. Research said targeting TG2 would be a treatment approach to explore but said research currently in a mouse model was at an early stage.
March 19, 2007
Advice for all ages: Don't skip the dentist
Mounting evidence links oral health to overall health The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts
Excellent article exploring possible links between periodontal disease and other health problems, including pancreatic cancer. Of particular interest is a discussion of the mechanisms that might cause these problems, including diabetes, heart disease as well as pancreatic cancer. The story notes that, according to Dominique Michaud of the Harvard School of Public Health, the lead author of the study on pancreatic cancer, it's not clear whether gum disease led to the cancer.
March 15, 2007
Press release
>> Liverpool to trial new pancreatic cancer therapy, testing the vaccine GV1001 alongside two chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine and capecitabine on patients with locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer. GV1001 is a new immunotherapeutic drug for pancreatic cancer developed by Danish-based biotech company Pharmexa
March 11, 2007
John Rodda Looks to His Faith and His Family to Keep Going During Cancer Treatments The Ledger, Lakeland, Florida
Well-detailed story on a the treatment course being followed by a 51-year-old man diagnosed the day after jaundice surfaced in July 2006. He's had the Whipple (removing half of his stomach, gallbladder, bile duct and a portion of his pancreas) and had follow up course of chemo and radiation. From the story: " 'So far, all the tests and CAT scans are negative,' said a surprisingly healthy looking Rodda."
New hope for detecting deadly pancreatic cancer St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Florida
Doctors column on a paper recently presented about working being done to develop a blood test for pancreatic cancer. "Researchers tested 100 pancreatic cancer patients and 400 healthy controls. In the process, they examined 95 tumor-related proteins and identified 10 biomarkers, which conferred the test a high level of accuracy and very few false positive results," the column says. "When refined and validated, the new assay may make a significant contribution towards early detection and cure of pancreatic cancer."
March 2, 2007
Artist says he was healed through prayer Connellsville Daily Courier, Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Musician Gary Carolla may have walls covered with gold and platinum records, but he said the success he is most proud of is his reconnection with God and the completion of his Christian CD, "Heaven Is You." "It's all because of my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Typically once a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is made the patient dies within six months. I had a very serious operation called a Whipple surgery, and God led me to an extremely gifted surgeon named John Cameron at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore." Carolla worked with the Backstreet Boys early in their career
Flower power: Show an early spring touch Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Massachusetts
Story about the Central Massachusetts Spring Flower show includes info aobut Pansies for Progress and the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance.
February 27, 2007
‘His Biggest Accomplishment’ — Receiving the Ultimate Gift The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Massachusetts
Six months after the 45-year-old Hingham native died of pancreatic cancer, his family will celebrate the role of Scott Fithian as an executive producer of the new film "The Ultimate Gift." The movie is based on a book by Jim Stovall, who went blind in his late 20s but went on to become an Olympic weightlifter and a motivational speaker. The book is about a misguided trust fund baby who receives an unusual inheritance from his grandfather and is sent on a journey to discover life’s greatest gifts: laughter, love, gratitude and family. The story inspired Fithian, who shared it with his friends and co-workers at Legacy Companies in Hingham, a consulting firm he and his brother founded in 1997 to teach financial advisers to create relationships with their clients that incorporate values and life planning rather than just money.
February 26, 2007
Surgical advances boost pancreatic cancer survival rates STLtoday.com, St. Louis, Missouri
Story makes a bold claim in the lead: "A man from Okawville is living proof that there's progress being made in the fight against pancreatic cancer." Gary Hackstadt, 58, was diagnosed in January 2003, and four years later he's still working full time as a truck driver. Two pancreatic cancer specialists say luck is just part of the reason he has survived not only pancreatic cancer, but also a return of his cancer twice, in the liver.
"Where we used to see 10 percent survival we're now seeing 50 percent survival," said Dr. William Hawkins, referring to some types of pancreatic cancer. Hawkins is an assistant professor of surgery and a pancreatic cancer specialist at the Siteman Cancer Center.
After the Whipple Procedure, many patients are also candidates for a form of therapy called the Picozzi regimen. Surgery is followed by chemotherapy, radiation and a medicine called an immune modulator. Side effects and toxicity can be difficult to tolerate, but it offers hope for improved survival and quality of life. That's the treatment approach used for Hackstadt.
"What we don't know yet about this is, have we cured a lot of people or have we delayed the diagnosis coming back?" Hawkins said.
2 at LSU among 'Academic All-Stars' The Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Biology student Jackie Zimmerman honored as academic all-star by USA Today plans on a career in pancreatic cancer research after the death of a young family friend.
Teaching Hope: UMass instructor shares his experience with overcoming cancer The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, Amherst, Massachusetts
After a bruising course of treatment for pancreatic cancer, Robert Childs is back after 8 months doing what he loves, teaching in the University of Massachusetts Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences department.
After surgery to remove pancreas and spleen, Childs went through four months of chemotherapy at Massachusetts General Hospital. After a two-week break, he began daily treatments of chemotherapy and radiation, 24 hours a day, five days a week, for six weeks. Childs, although in remission, is still in recovery.
It was only two weeks ago that Childs really began to feel good for the first time in eight months.
"I had forgotten what it felt like, to feel good. I was surviving everyday. I was focused on my treatments. That was my life," he said.
February 8, 2007
Throwing a lifeline The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts
Two friends deal with a cancer diagnosis by creating their own affirming ritual. Beautiful story on David Hatch and John Joyce who after a 4-mile run around a reservoir take a quick dip in the water. Even in January
Once a week, Hatch, 50, and Joyce, 51, take this post-run plunge. The ritual began in September 2005 when Hatch's wife, Liz, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. "It's a way of showing support for her," Hatch said. "With the cancer, the treatments, the uncertainty — there's so little I can do. But this swim? This is something I can do."
February 6, 2007
'I asked God to heal me, and he did' Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
When Margaret Johnson talks about her battle with pancreatic cancer, she remains remarkably composed.
Most of the time. As an anchorwoman and reporter for WXII, Johnson is used to keeping her cool through chaos and tragedy. Johnson, 48, has worked at WXII for nearly 19 years. Cancer first struck Johnson in 2005. The ups and downs during her course of treatment took her off the air for big chunks of time for more than a year. She faced another round of treatment last summer, when a tiny cancerous tumor showed up in her throat.
Johnson is now cancer-free. She went back to work in October.
February 5, 2007
Texas Family Stages Cancer Treatment Protest CBS 11 TV, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Bobby Thompson and 10 of his family members carried signs of protest at Aetna’s Arlington office.
"I’m not really crazy about doing this," says Thompson, who is fighting pancreatic cancer. The 61-year-old former Union Carbide worker has pancreatic cancer. His family drove to Arlington to protest Aetna Insurances' refusal to pay for the drug Avastin, which is approved for colon and rectal cancer patients.
Thompson says his cancer indicators dropped when an Oklahoma hospital paid for a six-week trial of the drug.
February 3, 2007
As oral cancer drugs gain, dosage problems grow The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts
Story is about the move to chemotherapy in pill form instead of intravenously and says. "The take-at-home arsenal greatly increases the risk of underdoses, overdoses , and just plain mistakes as patients wrestle on their own with unpleasant side effects, complex treatment plans, and simple cancer fatigue. More than half of patients taking one widely used oral chemotherapy, Xeloda, occasionally cut back their dose or take a medication 'break' to reduce side effects such as nausea and skin irritation, according to a survey of oncologists. A pancreatic cancer patient taking Xeloda explained how he managed his medication : 'I take the pills until I develop a funny rash on my hands and then I back off a little bit.'Cancer specialists are only now waking up to the scope of the 'non adherence' problem."
February 1, 2007
Researchers find pancreatic cancer stem cells Reuters
Researchers have discovered a small population of stem cells in pancreatic cancer that appear to drive tumor growth, opening the door for a potential new approach for treatment. Dr. Diane Simeone, director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and lead author of the study, said there is emerging evidence that within cancers, there is a small subset of cells that are responsible for the growth and propagation of tumors. The idea is that these cells with stem-cell characteristics — the ability to self-renew and differentiate into other cell types — are the ones fueling tumor formation. Killing these cancer stem cells is akin to yanking out the root of a weed, Simeone said.
Cancer Researcher Battles Her Own Cancer WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dr. Anna Masellis, a cancer research specialist, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May and given 2 months to live. She and Dr. Gail Bender, her oncologist, have taken the cancer on and are making progress. "Can what I'm doing help other patients or help clinicians with gathering data," said Masellis, "or help researchers figure out something new about the disease." Together they devised a strategy they believe has never been tried before. "We're going to be giving you Gemzar and Avastin intravenously; Carboplatnium and Taxatir, IP," said Bender. IP means intra-peritoneal, Masellis explained by pointing to clear plastic tubes that lead into her abdomen under her rib cage. The tubes carry chemotherapy drugs inside her body so they can wash directly over tiny tumors that had spread.
January 26, 2007
Study: Using fewer cancer-care providers saves lives Houston Business Journal, Houston, Texas
Limiting who can administer certain cancer procedures not only saves lives, it can also keep spiraling health-care costs down, according to a study of health economics. Researchers analyzed outcome data from hospitals in Florida, New Jersey and New York that performed the Whipple procedure, the most common surgical procedure for perennially difficult-to-treat pancreatic cancer. "Hospitals and surgeons that have performed more of these procedures will have a lower mortality rate," said Dr. Vivian Ho, associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
Roseville man's battle with cancer rallies community The Press Tribune, Roseville, California
From his green La-Z-Boy in his West Roseville home, John Burke, 37, has kept a legion of well-wishers up-to-date on his battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, blogging the ups and downs of an aggressive treatment regimen with the aid of a laptop and the Web site Caringbridge.com.
>> www.caringbridge.com/visit/johnburke
Incidence of pancreas cancer quadrupled in China Xinhua
A new survey shows the incidence of pancreatic cancer in some Chinese cities including Beijing and Tianjin is four time higher than it was 20 years ago. Story notes that smoking is a risk factor.
January 23, 2007
Avastin fails trials for pancreatic cancer USA Today
In a study of about 600 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, those who added Avastin to standard chemotherapy lived only about six months — the same as those who got chemotherapy alone, says lead author Hedy Lee Kindler. Kindler says she was surprised, because earlier studies suggested the drug might improve survival. But such early trials can be misleading because they don't measure how the drug compares to other therapies, she says. The new study's design — in which patients were randomly assigned to take the Avastin combination, while the other half were assigned standard therapy and a placebo — is considered the gold standard of medical evidence. Patients who took Avastin actually did slightly worse than patients given chemo.
Pancreatic cancer vaccine may help some patients Reuters
A tailor-made cancer vaccine may help patients with pancreatic cancer, who have few other options to treat the deadly disease.
Most of the patients who got the vaccine survived at least two years, Dr. Daniel Laheru of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and colleagues told a meeting of gastrointestinal cancer specialists.
In the phase II study of 60 patients, 88 percent were alive a year later and 76 percent lived two years.
In comparison, 63 percent of patients treated with surgery alone survive a year and 42 percent live two years.
A second team reported bad news — adding Avastin, a drug that starves tumors of their blood supply, to the standard chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer did not help patients live any longer.
Cancer deaths fell over two-year period The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, Maryland
Story has no statistics for pancreatic cancer but does contain this: Dr. John Niederhuber, director of the National Cancer Institute, said researchers recently completed a genetic map of prostate cancer, are well into a breast cancer project and are about to start a pancreatic cancer effort. On the downside, experts also warned that recent cuts in NIH funding might jeopardize future research.
"There is no doubt that there has been a substantial investment in this research," said Dr. Martin D. Abeloff, director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. "What is ironic about [the drop in cancer deaths] is that at exactly this time the federal funding is not only flat, but it's decreasing. That is something of great concern to those of us who are looking at what we can do with advances in the future."
January 16, 2007
Study: Drug delays cancer return after pancreas surgery The Associated Press
German study shows pancreatic cancer patients who have undergone surgery stave off a return of the disease longer if they receive Gemzar, or gemcitabine. Patients who did lived on average of 13.4 months without their cancer coming back. A comparison group that did not receive the drug lived without disease for 6.9 months.
The findings apply only to those patients who can have surgery — just 6,000 to 6,500 patients a year in the United States. Those are the patients whose cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the pancreas.
Pancreatic cancer/periodontal link ID'd UPI
Using data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study — which includes 51,529 U.S. men working in the health professions who respond to questionnaires about their health every two years — researchers confirmed 216 cases of pancreatic cancer between 1986 and 2002. Of those patients with pancreatic cancer, 67 reported also having periodontal disease. The researchers then adjusted for age, smoking, diabetes, body mass index and a number of other factors, and found that men with periodontal disease had a 63-percent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared with those without periodontal disease.
Micro molecules can ID pancreatic cancer UPI
Ohio State study showed that levels of microRNA were much higher in pancreatic tumor cells than in normal cells, pointing way for possible avenue for diagnosis in the future.
How spicy foods can kill cancers BBC, United Kingdom
Scientists have discovered the key to the ability of spicy foods to kill cancer cells. Capsaicin was tested on cultures of human lung cancer cells and on pancreatic cancers. They found capsaicin, an ingredient of jalapeno peppers, triggers cancer cell death by attacking mitochondria - the cells' energy-generating boiler rooms.
However, Josephine Querido, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "This research does not suggest that eating vast quantities of chilli pepper will help prevent or treat cancer.
"The experiments showed that pepper extracts killed cancer cells grown in the laboratory, but these have not yet been tested to see if they are safe and effective in humans."
British gene team are on the brink of cancer breakthrough The Evening Standard, United Kingdom
Story has a tone of boundless enthusiasm. SR Pharma was awarded a patent for a drug that targets the genes involved in the spread of pancreatic cancer "It is not a cure but it will prolong life and improve quality," the company hopes.
[The drug was developed using RNA interference, the discovery of which won UMass' Craig Mello a Nobel Prize.]
For the latest news, here's a link to news stories sorted by date with the word "pancreatic"
on the Google search engine.
Please email suggestions for additional links to Hope@PancreaticAlliance.org.