Several friends have sent me links to reports of new research on pancreatic and brain cancer, in which the sequencing and problems with the responsible genes are examined. Check out the following links for better explanations:
http://www.hhmi.org/news/vogelstein20080904.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssHealthcareNews/idUSN0437308620080904?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
This is very early stage work, but it gives the researchers a new way of looking at these cancers (and possibly others) and may lead to earlier diagnosis and better treatments.
You know the statistics. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
The National Cancer Institute spends less than 2% of its budget on pancreatic cancer research.
The closest we have to a Poster Boy for pancreatic cancer is Patrick Swazey, who is still alive, though Dith Pran, Randy Pausch, Michael Landon, Jack Benny, Rex Harrison, Donna Reed, Henry Mancini, Luciano Pavarotti and many other famous people died of it. The problem is that pancreatic cancer generally kills so quickly that no celebrity is around long enough to raise public awareness, the way that Christopher Reeves did for brain injuries or Michael J. Fox has done for Parkinsons.
So we need you. Please take a moment to help advance research seeking a solution to
research on early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Go to: http://www.pancan.org/Public/take.html and sign the petition to your senators and representatives.
As you know, I don't usually stand up on a soapbox or wave banners. But with the news about the latest research, this sounds like a good time to try and get our representatives to pay attention and put some funds into a good cause.
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3 comments:
Dear Lucie,
I will gladly sign the petition, but wish there was more I could do. I do believe in miracles, though. Not that miracles happen ALL the time, but they do happen on occasion. The rational mind says that there is no such thing, but the rational mind could accept miracles if they are explained as events that occur that we do not yet know how to explain. I want so badly for you to live with this cancer for many years, pain free. But I guess, it is concentrate on the best, but prepare for the worst. If you could only "know" how much time you will have, than the cloud of cancer could be pushed into a corner to let the sun shine on you and keep replenishing the warmth that is one of the greatest gifts that you give to others.
It's an understatement to say that spending less than 4 % of the research monies on pancreatic cancer is not fair. I wonder if they use the statistics of who gets the most of what cancer to direct their research? I say they should use the statistic of what are the sneakiest cancers, the ones that don't make themselves known until they've almost surrounded the town. I love you and Jerry for so many reasons, A.
i will surely sign the petition. i can't believe that less than 4% of monies go to pancreatic cancer. that is truly crazy. hope you are feeling well.
this new research should certainly get better funding. If I lived in your fsir land I would surely sign it. good luck and hope all goes around and is laced with tumeric.
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