MONROE - The Madison affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network recognized community leaders in Monroe recently for enacting a proclamation recognizing November as National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and drawing attention to the need for research funding for early detection tools and effective treatment options for patients.
"We are grateful to Mayor Bill Ross and Green County Board Chairman Art Carter for signing proclamations that will bring increased awareness of this horrendous disease to this community," said Jo Hawthorn, a volunteer with the Madison affiliate.
While attempting to raise awareness and research dollars, Hawthorn said she continues to be surprised by the number of people unfamiliar with this disease, even though it is now the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in Wisconsin.
"With continued support we will work towards increasing federal research funding and local awareness for this terrible disease," she said.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a national organization that seeks to create hope through research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure and is working to increase the survival rate by way of its initiative "The Vision of Progress: Double the Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate by 2020."
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Despite improved survival rates for many other forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer remains the only cancer tracked by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that still has a 5-year relative survival rate at 6 percent. Pancreatic cancer cases and deaths have been on the rise since 1998 and are expected to increase by 55 percent by 2030.
Currently, research dedicated to pancreatic cancer receives approximately 2 percent of the federal dollars distributed by the NCI and there is no long-term and comprehensive strategy in place to improve survival. The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act (S.362/H.R.733) will ensure that the NCI develops such a long-term comprehensive strategic plan for developing early diagnostics and treatment options that will increase the survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients.
More information is available at www.pancan.org.
"We are grateful to Mayor Bill Ross and Green County Board Chairman Art Carter for signing proclamations that will bring increased awareness of this horrendous disease to this community," said Jo Hawthorn, a volunteer with the Madison affiliate.
While attempting to raise awareness and research dollars, Hawthorn said she continues to be surprised by the number of people unfamiliar with this disease, even though it is now the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in Wisconsin.
"With continued support we will work towards increasing federal research funding and local awareness for this terrible disease," she said.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a national organization that seeks to create hope through research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure and is working to increase the survival rate by way of its initiative "The Vision of Progress: Double the Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate by 2020."
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Despite improved survival rates for many other forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer remains the only cancer tracked by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that still has a 5-year relative survival rate at 6 percent. Pancreatic cancer cases and deaths have been on the rise since 1998 and are expected to increase by 55 percent by 2030.
Currently, research dedicated to pancreatic cancer receives approximately 2 percent of the federal dollars distributed by the NCI and there is no long-term and comprehensive strategy in place to improve survival. The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act (S.362/H.R.733) will ensure that the NCI develops such a long-term comprehensive strategic plan for developing early diagnostics and treatment options that will increase the survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients.
More information is available at www.pancan.org.
