#537
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 11:18:17 -0700
From: James Leone <jleoneatc@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: HEDIR-L Digest - 10 May 2007 to 11 May 2007 (#2007-103)
I am late in responding to an issue posted a couple of mo=
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Hello HEDIR:=0A=0AI am late in responding to an issue posted a couple of mo= nths ago regarding pancreatic cancer awareness and advocacy. My very close = aunt just passed away this monday (8/6) from this disease. Although my fami= ly and I are sadden, we are strong in terms of advocating for better awaren= ess, detection, treatment, prevention, and counseling for this disease. I w= ould love to hear/see more diaglogue on this issues from other health educa= tors. Specifically, what are we (health educators) doing to address these a= forementioned areas? What more can we do? What coalitions can be formed in = addition to the few that are bearing the brunt of the efforts addressing th= is disease?=0A=0AThanks for everyone's time and attention to this post.=0A= =0ARegards,=0A=0AJim Leone=0A =0AJames E. Leone, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS =0AVis= iting Assistant Professor of Exercise Science=0ASchool of Public Health and=
Human Services =0ADepartment of Exercise Science =
=0AThe George Washington University =0A817 23rd Stre=
et, Office 301 =0AWashington, D.C. 200=
52 =0ATelephone: =
=0AFax: =
=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A----- Ori= ginal Message ----=0AFrom: HEDIR-L automatic digest system <LISTSERV@listse=
rv.siu.edu>=0ATo: HEDIR-L@listserv.siu.edu=0ASent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 1=
:04:21 AM=0ASubject: HEDIR-L Digest - 10 May 2007 to 11 May 2007 (#2007-103= )=0A=0A=0ATopics of the day:=0A=0A 1. Ideas/Innovators needed re: Pancreat=
ic Cancer Education & Treatment (2)=0A=0ADate: Fri, 11 May 2007 10:51:52=
-0700=0AFrom: Pat Hanson <Pat_Hanson@CSUMB.EDU>=0ASubject: Ideas/Innova=
tors needed re: Pancreatic Cancer Education & Treatment=0A=0AFriends .... = synchronous with the recent demise and great loss of Bill Kane, I happen to= meet Dale O' Brien, MD, MPH who is executive director of the Lorenzen Canc= er Foundation near where I live in Pacific Grove. There are only 3 national= =0Aorganizations working on this. If you check out their website (below) yo= u can see what he had just begun to do with getting the word out on this un= derfunded virulent cancer. At this point he's overwhelmed doing what they'r= e already doing in=0Aeducation and treatment; but is going to a conference = of Oncologists in early June (2nd to be specific in Chicago) and will be me= eting funding reps ... I'm asking any of you what ideas you might have, per= haps even linked to your institution or=0Aagency that might make a dent in = awareness, education, prevention or getting more people, especially low inc= ome to treatment for this disease. =0A=0ALet's dialogue ....=0A=0ARemember = good happens!=0A=0APat Hanson=0AHEALTH MATTERS=0A1823 Wedemeyer Ct. =0AMari= na, CA 93933=0A831-883-4482=0ACell:831-601-9195 =0Apat_hanson@csumb.edu = =0A=0Ahttp://pancreatica.org/=0A=0Ahttp://www.driveforthemarker.org/philoso=
phy.html=0A=0AMission Statement =0A=0AThe mission of the Lorenzen Cancer Fo= undation is to promote awareness, increase education, and further cancer re= search. Specifically, the programs supported by the Foundation are aimed at=
: =0A=0A=0A=D8 Promoting education=0A=D8 Community awareness=0A=D8 Advoc=
acy=0A=D8 Increased participation in clinical trials=0A=D8 Providing acce= ss to the most comprehensive and complete listing of on-going clinical tria= ls, for patients, physicians and researchers.=0A=0ADescription =0A=0ALorenz= en Cancer Foundation is a 501(c )(3) non-profit organization created in the= memory of Gary Lorenzen who died in May 2001 of pancreatic cancer. One of = the programs of the Foundation is dedicated to maintaining a top-rated <u>w= ww.pancreatica.org=0A</u>web site containing educational resources for pati= ents, their caregivers, physicians and researchers. The News and Archives s= ection on Pancreatica displays the world=92s largest concentration of scien= tific articles; and its database of ongoing=0Aclinical trials in pancreatic= cancer is the world=92s largest.=0A=0APancreatic cancer is the most virule= nt of all of the major cancers. The duration from diagnosis to demise in = advanced pancreatic cancer (the most common form at diagnosis) is 5 to 6 m= onths with good treatment. =0A=0AIt is also the least funded in terms of r= esearch. Pancreatic cancer receives (on a per mortality basis): 10% of the= funding of breast cancer (but causes 78% of the mortality), 35% of the fu= nding of prostate cancer (but causes more mortality) and=0A29% of the fund= ing of colorectal cancer (but causes 55% of the mortality). =0A=0APancreat= ic cancer will cause more than 30,000 deaths in the U.S. this year (and an= other 60,000 in Europe) - about 250 deaths (U.S + Europe) per day OR more = than 1% of all mortality. =0A=0ACancer is the second most common cause of= mortality (behind cardiovascular heart disease). And pancreatic cancer is= the fourth most common cause of cancer death (behind lung, colorectal and= breast, respectively). It is the third most common=0Acause of cancer deat= h in men and the fifth in women. It is more commonly found in African-Amer= icans; it is associated with smoking and with diets rich in saturated fats= . =0A=0AApart from education, advocacy and awareness, the principle aim of= the Drive For The Marker sm initiative is fostering the discovery of a mo= lecular and/or genetic marker to aid in the earlier diagnosis and screenin= g of pancreatic cancer (such as=0Anow exists, for example, with prostate = cancer). =0A=0AEarlier diagnosis would give access to potential curative s= urgery for a much greater number of people. Such surgery is currently cons= idered the most likely modality to offer a cure to an individual patient, = but due to the aggressiveness and=0Astealth of the tumor it is now applica= ble to only about 15% of patients by the time of diagnosis. =0A=0APlease j= oin us in this important cause.=0A=0APat- thank you for this "public servic= e"! My mother died of pancreatic=0Acancer 6 years ago. I have often thoug= ht that it is odd, as a health=0Aprofessional, that I never became involved= in fundraising or public=0Ainformation or other efforts around this diseas= e. When she first became=0Aill, I talked to people whose parents or loved = ones had died of it 30=0Ayears ago. And they would say things like- "well = that was 30 years ago,=0AI'm sure there's more they can do now." To which = I would sadly say,=0A"Actually there isn't, the prognosis for pancreatic ca= ncer hasn't=0Achanged." =0A=0AIt occurred to me years after she died that = part of the reason this=0Acancer doesn't generate the kind of research inte= rest and commitment of=0Aother cancers is two-fold- 1) there are very, very= few "survivors" to=0Acarry on the mission, wave the flag, give "hope" and = all the other=0Athings that have generated so much interest, research, and =
progress with=0Aother cancers. And 2) the loved ones of pancreatic cancer=
patients are=0Aonly involved with the disease for the very short time that= it runs its=0Acourse. I had all I could do to keep up with my mother's ca= re and all=0Aof our mental health, to get involved in advocacy, and then sh= e died and=0AI was paralyzed. Advocacy around treatment and research just = wasn't on=0Amy radar screen, even though she lived about 3 months longer th= an the=0Aaverage, due primarily to a clinical trial that seemed to be worki= ng for=0Aa brief (3 months exactly) window of time. I always felt badly, th= at as=0Aa health professional, I never took this on as a "cause". I applau= d=0Ayour friend on his mission. And, after 6 years, I guess it's time for=
=0Ame to get involved. A perfect tribute on Mother's Day. Thanks. =0ALis=
a=0A=0ALisa Lieberman, Ph.D., CHES=0AHealthy Concepts Research, Inc. =0A29 = Ardsley Drive=0ANew City, NY 10956=0A845 638-1619=0ALLHealth@optonline.net=
=0A=0A=0A ____________________________________________________________=
________________________=0AFussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfec= t. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/=
gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=3D7 =0A
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