Imagine being diagnosed with a disease that would likely take your life in a year or less. Unfortunately, this is the reality for those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer as 74 percent of patients die within one year of diagnosis. Sadly, the disease has a five-year survival rate in the single digits of just six percent, the lowest among major cancers.
What is worse is that there has been little progress in detecting and treating pancreatic cancer. Since the passage of the National Cancer Act over forty years ago, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer has only improved from two to six percent. By comparison, the five-year survival rate for all cancers currently stands at an impressive 67 percent.
Pancreatic cancer is unique and requires specific action. The disease is so deadly because there are no early detection methods to diagnose the disease in its early stages and there are no effective treatment options to treat the disease once it’s been diagnosed.
My father passed away on July 27 from pancreatic cancer. He was undiagnosed for three years. I watched him suffer in excruciating pain. No one deserves to live like that.
Fortunately, there is hope. Congress is currently debating the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act (S. 362/H.R.733), which would require the National Cancer Institute to create a long-term and comprehensive strategic plan to address pancreatic cancer with the goal of improving early detection methods and developing new treatment options. If Congress gets behind this bill, pancreatic cancer patients will finally have more options, and ultimately more hope.
D’Anne McDaniel
Scottsdale
Accuracy posted at 11:53 am on Fri, Aug 10, 2012.
There are two new experimental treatments that have shown extraordinary success in helping cancer patients.
1) A treatment which targets breast cancer, is called ADC. Patients treated with the therapy, have seen their risk of dying reduced up to 38 percent compared to people using conventional drugs.
2) A treatment, called Anti PD-1, targets kidney and lung cancers. Patients treated saw lung cancer nearly disappeared with the treatment.
But since neither of the treatments are available to the public yet, interested patients can talk to their oncologist about these clinical trials.
Bingo6 posted at 5:33 am on Fri, Aug 10, 2012.
rrrry to hear about your father D'anne I understand perfectly your pain and your concern. My wife of 30 years has stage three lung cancer with the same agonizing outcome in her future.
As much as I'd like to see congress act on this bill, the stark reality is that, the tea-party goons are holding America hostage and quite frankly they don't give a dam&*about your father or my wife or the millions of Americans who suffer from the ravages of cancer.
In their twisted minds getting sick in America is your own fault and if you haven't put aside the hundreds of thousands of dollars to cure yourself or ease your own suffering then that is your own fault.
America and its hope for our future and its social compact with its citizens is gone, as long as these evil ignorant right wingers are in charge then there is no hope for cancer research, or anything else for that matter, their hate for you and I and all Americans is the future of our nation.
Accuracy posted at 8:10 pm on Wed, Aug 8, 2012.
The American Cancer Society is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer and was established in 1913.
The “National Cancer Act” was enacted August 5, 1937; An act to provide for, foster, and aid in coordinating research relating to cancer; to establish the National Cancer Institute; and for other purposes.
In 1971, the National Cancer Act (United States federal law) was intended to amend the Public Health Service Act so as to strengthen the National Cancer Institute in order to more effectively carry out the national effort against cancer.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which is a national organization creating hope in a comprehensive way through research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure, is today working to advocate the passage of the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act.
Researchers and drug-makers have been trying to find ways to boost the immune system against cancer for decades . . . but, with little successes.