Who we are.

Join the fight against pancreatic cancer! The 2015 Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk is Sunday, November 1st at Sloan's Lake Park, Denver, CO.

All the money raised goes directly to pancreatic cancer research thanks to the Lustgarten Foundation!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Only 10 more days!

Are you planning on walking in the 2010 Rich Phillips Memorial Walk in Denver?  Can you believe it's only 10 days away?  If you haven't already signed up there is still time! All the information is on the website: http://denverwalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=419805.

Did you know ... Lustgarten is on You Tube?

 
That's right, the Lustgarten Foundation has their own You Tube page.  It's a great resource to find information on the genome project, to learn about Jimmy Carter's connection with pancreatic cancer, to see and post PSA's for walks around the country.  Check it out!  And if you have any videos to share from the walk or any of our interviews, I am sure we can post it.   http://www.youtube.com/user/lustgartenfoundation

How did the Lustgarten Foundation get started?


1.     What is The Lustgarten Foundation? Why and how did it start?

  • Based in Bethpage, New York, The Lustgarten Foundation supports research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, facilitates dialogue within the medical and scientific community, and educates the public about the disease through awareness campaigns and fundraising events,
  • In 1998 Marc Lustgarten, vice chairman of leading media and entertainment company Cablevision Systems Corporation, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At this time, little was known about this deadly disease.
  • To help change that, Cablevision and the Dolans, along with Marc, established The Lustgarten Foundation in his honor before he died.
  • Today, the Foundation he inspired is the nation’s largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research.

2.     What is The Lustgarten Foundation’s relationship with Cablevision Systems Corporation?
  • Cablevision has worked closely with the Foundation to support its mission throughout its history. 
  • Cablevision has also made a multi-year commitment to underwrite all of the Foundation’s administrative expenses so that 100% of every donation received by the Foundation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research.
  • In addition, Cablevision and the Foundation joined forces to launch curePC, a public awareness campaign, which raises awareness through television, print, radio and online public service announcements that run across Cablevision’s media and entertainment assets.  

3.     How much money has The Lustgarten Foundation provided since its inception and what has it accomplished to date?

  • The Lustgarten Foundation has committed more than $32 million in support of promising pancreatic cancer research during the past 10 or so years.
  • Through research we have funded, early detection tests are being developed and vaccines are being tested.
  • We’re dedicated to funding more research and raising awareness so a cure can be found.
 
 For more information, contact the Lustgarten Foundation at ... 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, New York 11714, Toll Free: 1-866-789-1000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-789-1000      end_of_the_skype_highlighting P: 516-803-2304 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              516-803-2304      end_of_the_skype_highlighting F: 516-803-2303

PurpleLight Denver

Saturday, November 6, 2010


Join the Denver Affiliate in the fight against pancreatic cancer at PurpleLight Denver, a vigil for hope. Come enjoy meeting others who have joined the fight against pancreatic cancer. Registration for this event is free of charge, which includes one light stick or $5 per person, which includes a memorial ribbon and a light stick. 

All proceeds benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Bring the whole family! The evening will include a remembrance walk around Clement Lake, followed by a vigil for hope.

Location
CLEMENT PARK, SHELTER 6
7306 W. Bowles Ave.
Littleton, CO 80123
The event begins promptly at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 7:00 p.m.

Remembrance Ceremony
Program will conclude with the reading of the names of all those we have lost to pancreatic cancer (In Memory Of) or those who are survivors (In Support Of). Families and friends in attendance will be asked to illuminate their purple light stick at the time when their loved one’s name is read.
(You do not need to be present to have a name read)
In the registration form below under Remembrance Ceremony,
you will be able to add the name of whomever you are honoring or memorializing.

Extra Event Information
Please dress warmly; it is expected to be chilly! There will be hot chocolate and cookies.
For more information about the event, please email Kara Friedrich at kfriedrich@pancanvolunteer.org.

If you would like to support the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, please click here.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Don't Forget to Sign Up!


4th Annual Rich Phillips
Memorial Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk

Pre-Registration Fee $50 | Walk-In Registration Fee $60

Sunday, November 7, 2010 at Sloan’s Lake Park
Registration 8:30 am | Walk starts at 10:00 am


Join us on Sunday, November 7, 2010 in Denver, CO. Pancreatic Cancer Research Walks are a great way to increase funding for research and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Lustgarten Foundation walks serve as a wonderful celebration of the progress being made in the fight against this disease, and your important participation provides hope for the future.
 
We extend a special thank you to The Phillips Family for organizing this event.
 
One Hundred Percent Of All Donations Will Go Directly To Research. Cablevision Systems Corporation, a leading media and entertainment company underwrites all of The Lustgarten Foundation's administrative costs to ensure that 100% of every dollar raised will go directly to pancreatic cancer research.

http://denverwalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=419805&lis=0&kntae419805=99323EA4C04D4B40BA2EEABD5C6BA045

Why We Walk ... Dennis and Peggy's Story

Dennis and Peggy at the first Rich Phillips walk

My husband Dennis was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February 2006. He was a young 54 year- old. The news, as many of you can understand, left us in a state of disbelief. He started chemo, radiation and had surgery in November the same year. We were hopeful. In May of 2007, the cancer had spread to Dennis’ lungs. The chemo continued and we were still hopeful. Dennis was able to walk the first annual Rich Phillips walk. He passed in spring of 2008. 

I learned many things from my husband of 31 years, too numerous to say. I also learned many things from him in his fight with this disease. He never gave in and he taught me patience. He never gave in and he taught me perseverance. He never gave in and taught me strength. He never gave in and he taught me courage. His family friends miss him and we are walking for him and for the others who are in this fight.

Sincerely, 
Peggy 

Thank you to Peggy for sharing her and her husband's story.  If you you'd like to share your family's pancreatic cancer story, please email me at: mburness@srg.com.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Research Update Corner: Fall 2010

Signs of the Times: Biomarkers Offer Clinical Promise in Pancreatic Cancer

Historically, cancers have been understood and treated based on their physical attributes: what we can “see” about them, including where they started, and what they look like under a microscope and through imaging (CT, MRI, etc.). The TNM (tumor/node/metastasis) staging system, introduced more than fifty years ago, remains the gold standard for classifying tumors based on their primary size and location (T), and whether they have metastasized (spread) to lymph nodes (N) and distant parts of the body (M). Today, individuals diagnosed with cancer are evaluated for TNM, and these descriptions are combined to determine a disease stage.  Additionally, a pathologist examines the microscopic structure of the tumor’s cells to determine its histological classification. Together, this information helps guide oncologists in determining an optimal treatment course.
Although TNM staging and histology remain important to determining therapeutic intervention, new factors, such as biomarkers, are playing an increasing role in cancer care. Biomarkers are molecules (proteins, DNA or RNA) that can be used to indicate the presence of cancer. They are found in blood or other body fluids (such as urine and saliva), or in tumor tissue. Biomarkers are exciting to cancer researchers and clinicians because they help divide tumor classifications into smaller groupings, called ‘molecular subtypes,’ that behave in distinctly different ways. These cancer ‘signatures’ can be used to aid in treatment decisions, as well as for early detection and monitoring of response to treatment.
Biomarkers can be used to detect the presence of cancer before it is visible. Think of biomarkers as cancer’s “pool water test strips.” Pool owners understand the benefits of using test strips to monitor pH balance and chlorine level. Each week, we faithfully dip our test strip into the water and wait for a chemical reaction to take place, the different colors of the strip assuring us to varying degrees whether the water is safe to swim or if an adjustment is required. Suppose we forego the test strip for several weeks, relying solely on our eyes as evidence that clear-looking water indicates balanced levels? We may be surprised one day to return to our pools goggles in hand, only to find our beloved oasis has an eerie green tint.
How did the water turn green, seemingly “out of nowhere?” 
Actually, for days and possibly weeks, the pool water was undergoing chemical changes that led to the growth of algae and eventually turned the water green – only these changes were not visible to the eye. Using test strips allows us to detect subtle chemical reactions in the pool water before they become visible (and the water turns green). Also, we can use information gained from pool test strips to make necessary pH and chlorine adjustments that will clear the water. Perhaps our tests strips can even zero-in on the exact type of algae that has run amok, allowing us to add a single chemical to eliminate the specific culprit (rather than blast our pool full of a chemical cocktail so potent that it burns our guest’s eyes). This is similar to how cancer biomarkers can work: Although they cannot be observed through traditional medical tests, they can be quite effective in alerting oncologists that something is amiss, and often, in guiding them on how best to proceed. Biomarkers help clinicians to look beyond the tangible signs of cancers, allowing their individual chemical compositions (‘signatures’) to speak for themselves.

Biomarkers for Early Detection

With a disease like pancreatic cancer where early detection can influence prognosis, we want to find cancerous cells long before we can “see” them. One such effort to identify various pancreatic cancer signatures is the Foundation’s Biomarker Development Initiative. The Initiative aims to identify protein signatures for pancreatic cancer. Ultimately, the goal is to use these signatures as a basis for developing early detection and screening methods. Earlier this year it was announced that the team successfully developed antibodies for candidate biomarkers.  Identifying the correct biomarkers and producing antibodies against them is the first step toward developing an early detection test for pancreatic cancer. The Foundation recently launched Phase II of the Initiative, which seeks to validate the newly developed antibodies. Once validated, the antibodies will be tested in the serum of pancreatic cancer patients to determine whether they show promise for clinical use.
In addition to protein-based biomarkers, major technological advances, such as the high-throughout technology used for DNA sequencing in the pancreatic cancer genome project, supported in part by The Lustgarten Foundation, are enabling scientists to catalog DNA signatures for various cancer cells. The hope is that one day, DNA signatures can be compared against normal cells to check for variations that would indicate the presence of early stage pancreatic cancer. The Lustgarten Foundation supports this kind of leading-edge research.

Biomarkers for Therapeutics

As we grow our understanding of cancer signatures, we can determine which signatures respond to which therapies, widening cancer’s playing field of ‘personalized medicine.’ Breast cancer’s HER2 biomarker (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is an example of how enhanced understanding of cancer biology has led to improved, targeted therapies: As with pancreatic cancer, treatment for breast cancer has been selected based on TNM stage and tumor histology. But thanks in part to the identification of certain biomarkers, breast cancer is now also classified based on ‘molecular subtype.’ Today, HER2-positive breast cancer patients have improved prognoses regardless of the stage of their disease, largely because HER2-positivity makes them candidates for targeted therapies. Ideally, we would like to apply this concept of cancer signatures to pancreatic cancer and in fact, much emphasis in the research community today is being placed on identifying pancreatic cancer biomarkers. The pancreatic cancer genome project set the stage for the identification of new DNA signatures by identifying a “treasure trove” of genes involved in the disease.
In addition to uncovering new biomarker signatures for pancreatic cancer, we can apply our existing understanding of biomarkers across cancers that bear similar signatures. For example, abnormal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with inherited pancreatic cancer. A recent study in non-small call lung cancer¹ found that an investigational therapy (olaparib) showed significant antitumor activity in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Olaparib is a poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) enzyme inhibitor. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are also involved in hereditary breast cancer, and PARP is also being evaluated as a potential target for treatment of this disease. Increasingly, the scientific and clinical communities are calling for the development of therapies based on these kinds of ‘crossover’ cancer signatures that show similar molecular defects, but originate in different locations.² The Lustgarten Foundation is exploring opportunities to support these kinds of promising studies in pancreatic cancer.
Individuals with pancreatic cancer have had limited treatment options. The development of targeted therapies has expanded the pool of potential treatments for the disease, but clinicians still lack a reliable way to determine which therapies would prove most effective for individual patients. Biomarkers offer promise in the fight against pancreatic cancer at every level – from early detection, to selection of therapy, to monitoring of treatment response.  

Champions For Charity Holiday Shopping Benefit

Support pancreatic cancer research while holiday shopping!  

The Lustgarten Foundation is proud to be a part of Americana Manhasset’s Champions for Charity® Holiday Shopping Benefit. 25% of all eligible pre-tax purchases will be donated to participating organizations.  For more information visit http://www.lustgarten.org/Page.aspx?pid=911