The following article was written in the LA Times in September shortly after Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer.

The article is filled with up to date information you and your family should be aware of.  Pancreatic cancer is a silent killer.  Symptoms of the disease are vague, which is why it is usually detected only it its advanced stages.


November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month.

With Patrick Swayze’s death today comes a highly public reminder that the cure rate for pancreatic cancer is abysmal. This year, an estimated 42,470 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease. And an estimated 35,240 will die.

Smoking can increase risk, as can obesity, diabetes, family history and other factors. But there simply aren’t obvious signs of the disease in its early stages, and detection can often come too late. (Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer earlier this year; hers was indeed caught fairly early.)

The disease is broken down into two basic types: exocrine tumors and endocrine tumors, as the American Cancer Society explains. Exocrine tumors are the most common and are usually malignant. Endocrine tumors are much more rare and the malignancy rate is more complex. (Steve Jobs was diagnosed with the endocrine type several years ago.)

The National Cancer Institute offers a good overview of the disease. Of special note, it includes a link to clinical trials.

Besides studying genetic factors and trying to improve detection, researchers are trying to improve the effectiveness of the drugs now commonly used to treat cancer of the pancreas — and to devise new therapies as well.

Here’s an overview of new treatment approaches, according to the American Cancer Society. Included targeted therapies that attack only specific types of  cells or vessels, immune therapies that bolster the body’s ability to fight the disease and more.

Similarly, the Lustgarten Foundation offers descriptions of the Pancreatic Cancer Genome Project and the Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Initiative specifically. The former identified specific mutations and signaling pathways and is expected to shape research for years to come. The latter aims to find new detection and screening options.

For a truly impressive, or inspiring, database, there’s this list of pancreatic cancer researchers and their projects, via the Pancreatic Cancer Research Map. It’s searchable by investigator, area of research, state, etc.

And, for a sample of recent research into pancreatic cancer, the Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University offers a selection of presentations.

All of which is to say, the work continues.

— Tami Dennis

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  • I don't understand. What does this have to do with saying no to plastics..
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  • I'm not anti-vegetarian, nor am I going to become one because some extremist treehuggers think I should.

    For thousands of years, mankind has killed animals for fur, for meat, for weapons, for medicine. In Neolithic, the people then killed mammoths and smilodons for their fur, and meat for food. They used their bones to make into weapons, which they could then kill more animals to survive.

    As time went on and we enter the Biblical era, mankind still killed, but they used camels and asses to travel. They still killed the animals at that time to feed their families and to use the fur for clothing.

    We are now entering the medieval era. Deer are alive and booming. We are killing them once again for food, but now we use DOGS to kill RABBITS. OMG, WE'RE FORCING ANIMALS TO COMMIT ANIMAL CRUELTY!!!!1!!!111!1!!1!!11!!!!! Yeah, big whoop. Deal with it.

    Now we are in the 1800's. Native Americans are following their customs and using every bit of the animal to live. The people living in towns and cities hunt for money and trade. The french kill caribou, wolves, and foxes for fur trades with the Indians.

    And now we are in the modern era. If you haven't noticed yet, people in the South and North of America are still hunting, people in Africa hunt, the natives of Australia are hunting, People in Canada hunt, there are livestock in Europe sold for meat and profit, and Asia kills chicken. Heck, Japan makes Sushi from Octopus and Shark. Problem, extremists?

    People where I live hunt hogs, deer, rabbits, squirrel, and duck. They aren't going to stop because a few buttnaked chicks holding baby animals and flashing their breasts and rears in the images are preferring to go naked than wear fur. They aren't going to stop because KFC has their own way of killing chicken. They aren't going to stop because a whole cow isn't fully used for food. They aren't going to stop because people are vegetarians?

    Why?

    BECAUSE WE'VE LIVED LIKE THIS SINCE THE DAWN OF CIVILIZATION.

    If you can't learn to live with history, then live as a hobo or go kill yourself. Just because you love animals so much you wouldn't want to kill one doesn't mean we'll do the same thing. If I had to kill to live, I would. I'm fullblood Carnivarian, I don't eat plants. It's how I live, it's my custom. I'm not converting because some naked models want me to.

    Opinion stated. If you have a problem with it, email me at Icreate@aol.com . Other wise, grow up. I'm 16, and I act more mature than half you PETA extremist lovers do.

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  • Personally, I feel everyone should choose, i am vegitarian, i personally suppourt most aspects of PETA and that is my desicion. I have no intent to convert anyone, all meat eaters have made their desision too but here is something I'd like to clear up because im frustrated about some anti vegetarian comments.I can't tell you how many times i have and will hear these phrases in my life. Not only are the phrases frustrating to me but it is very rude, even if your anonymous behind your computer!

    1. "not eating meat, wont stop the slaughter"
    Well actually if everyone turned vegetarian (not that, that SHOULD happen) the demand for meat would stop and slaughter house's would go out of business...

    2. "Humans are made to eat meat!"
    Yeah well in some aspects its not the fact im trying to change the world or say humans arent made to eat meat, but maybe i just don't want or like the idea of a dead animal on my plate?

    3. "Stop getting attention, meat tastes good, you know it does!"
    When people use this excuse, i cant help thinking, this is my damn desison! and if you want to argue about it, Saying "meat tastes good" is like hitting lets say... a toddler with a hammer then saying "but it feels good!

    4. "if we didnt eat cows/pigs/sheep/rabbit/etc they would overpopulate"
    why not try leaving the population control to the predators and its hardly gonna help population control if we're farming them! also see number 2

    Last thing-“If PETA would stop its extreme methods this wouldn’t happen.”

    I doubt it.
    I don’t think cruelty and slaughter were started by PETA.

    Thanks- this is my opinion, and you are entitled to yours. Just think before you comment or judge

  • all you people who complain that PETA is such a bad organisation because they dont mind bad publisity are IDIOTS!!! why dont you get off your ass and fight for something instead of complaining about it!!! i for one llove what peta is doing, not everyone needs to be a vegetarian. but if everyone fought for something that meant alot to them then maby the world wouldnt be so fucked up.
    PLEASE WATCH THE MOVIE THE COVE!!! it shows how cruel people can be and how people can say that their practises are humane , but in actual fact they arent. thanx