November 8th marks one year since we lost the legendary Alex Trebek to Pancreatic Cancer and just last month, it took the beloved Sex and the City actor, Willie Garson from us. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) will launch its annual Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month campaign to raise awareness of the world’s toughest cancer. With a five-year survival rate of just 10 percent, pancreatic cancer is third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Early detection is vital to improving patient outcomes, which is why it is so important for patients and families to Talk. Test. Take Control. and understand their own inherited risk for pancreatic cancer due to genetic mutations.
Knowledge is power in the battle against Pancreatic Cancer. This November, PanCAN is emphasizing the importance of starting a conversation about the importance of genetic testing to understand inherited risk for this disease. Family history of the disease may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. That’s why PanCAN recommends that first-degree family members (parents, siblings, children) of pancreatic cancer patients consider genetic testing if their loved one was either found to have a genetic mutation or if they are unsure if their loved one was tested or of the results.
Julie Fleshman became Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s first full-time staff person and its first Executive Director in April 2000. Having lost her father to pancreatic cancer in 1999, she has made it her passion and commitment to change the course of the disease. In July 2004, the Board of Directors appointed Fleshman President and CEO. Under her leadership, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has driven consistent excellence and innovation throughout the programs and services of the organization, including introducing precision medicine service Know Your Tumor® and Precision PromiseSM, the first response-adaptive randomized clinical trial for pancreatic cancer. At the same time, she has steadily increased revenue growth and the organization’s impact. Under her direction, the organization has greatly expanded and attracted leading researchers from prestigious institutions around the country to study pancreatic cancer.
