Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the 

Lustgarten Foundation 

and all the volunteers fighting to find a cure!

2014 Lustgarten Pancreatic Walk in Denver in this weekend. Join us!

You Can Make a Difference! Volunteer Today!

Has pancreatic cancer affected your family?  Do you want to help find a cure?  Then the Denver Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Walk need your help!  

Here's your opportunity to give to the cause with your time and energy.  Whether you're looking to join the Walk Committee or the want to be a "day of volunteer" call us! We need your help!

Click here to learn more or call Ann Walsh at 516.803.2419.

Join us and helps us beat pancreatic cancer!

You can help make a difference!  Join the fight and walk for a cure!  Register today!

Pre-Registration Fee $50

Walk-In Registration Fee $60

Registration 9:00 am

Walk starts at 10:30 am

Join us on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at Sloan's Lake Park, Denver, CO. Pancreatic Cancer Research Events are a great way to increase funding for research and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Lustgarten Foundation Events 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.

Click here to learn more!

Preventing Pancreatic Cancer

Register for the 2014 Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk today!

http://www.pancreaticcancerresearchevents.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1093544

Pre-Registration Fee $50
Walk-In Registration Fee $60
Registration 9:00 am
Walk starts at 10:30 am
Join us on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at Sloan's Lake Park, Denver, CO. Pancreatic Cancer Research Events are a great way to increase funding for research and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Lustgarten Foundation Events 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. - See more at: http://www.pancreaticcancerresearchevents.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1093544#sthash.1xy6IpuH.dpuf

Denver Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Pre-Registration Fee $50
Walk-In Registration Fee $60
Registration 9:00 am
Walk starts at 10:30 am
Join us on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at Sloan's Lake Park, Denver, CO. Pancreatic Cancer Research Events are a great way to increase funding for research and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Lustgarten Foundation Events 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. - See more at: http://www.pancreaticcancerresearchevents.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1093544#sthash.1xy6IpuH.dpuf

Denver Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Pre-Registration Fee $50
Walk-In Registration Fee $60
Registration 9:00 am
Walk starts at 10:30 am
Join us on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at Sloan's Lake Park, Denver, CO. Pancreatic Cancer Research Events are a great way to increase funding for research and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Lustgarten Foundation Events 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. - See more at: http://www.pancreaticcancerresearchevents.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1093544#sthash.1xy6IpuH.dpuf

I walk because ...

Who inspired you to join pancreatic cancer fight?

curepc.org/

Join the fight to beat pancreatic cancer in Colorado!

Meaningful Mondays!

You can make a difference! Join the pancreatic cancer fight.

You can help make a difference!  Join the fight and walk for a cure!  Register today!

Pre-Registration Fee $50

Walk-In Registration Fee $60

Registration 9:00 am

Walk starts at 10:30 am

Join us on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at Sloan's Lake Park, Denver, CO. Pancreatic Cancer Research Events are a great way to increase funding for research and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Lustgarten Foundation Events 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.

Click here to learn more!

Join the fight to beat pancreatic cancer in Colorado!

Pancreatic Cancer News Feed -- What's the latest in pancreatic cancer research?

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for Halozyme's program investigating PEGPH20 (PEGylated recombinant human hyaluronidase) in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer to demonstrate an improvement in overall survival.

Promising Lustgarten funded research pancreatic immunotherapy fast tracked Regulators designated Aduro Biotech Inc.'s new combination of CRS-207 and GVAX Pancreas drugs a "breakthrough therapy," putting it on the fast track to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

Aspirin may cut risk of pancreatic cancer in half Taking aspirin may cut in half the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a study by the Yale School of Public Health and the Yale Cancer Center.

A paper diagnostic for cancer MIT engineers have developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could improve diagnosis rates and help people get treated earlier. The diagnostic, which works much like a pregnancy test, could reveal within minutes, based on a urine sample, whether a person has cancer. This approach has helped detect infectious diseases, and the new technology allows noncommunicable diseases to be detected using the same strategy.

DNA Shed By Tumors Shows Promise for Non-Invasive Screening and Prognosis Certain fragments of DNA shed by tumors into the bloodstream can potentially be used to non-invasively screen for early-stage cancers, monitor responses to treatment and help explain why some cancers are resistant to therapies, according to results of an international study. Analyzing blood samples from 640 patients with various cancers, the researchers used digital polymerase chain reaction-based technology to evaluate how well the DNA fragments predicted the presence of tumors in the patients. Investigators say the work provides strong evidence that ctDNA could be used as a �personalized biomarker� test and cancer screening tool.

Mayo Clinic Researchers Decode Origin of Inflammation-Driven Pancreatic Can Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have revealed the process by which chronic inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatitis, morphs into pancreatic cancer. They say their findings point to ways to identify pancreatitis patients at risk of pancreatic cancer and to potential drug therapies that might reverse the process. The study, published online in The Journal of Cell Biology, maps how inflammation pushes acinar cells in the pancreas � those that produce digestive enzymes � to transform into duct-like cells. As these cells change, they can acquire mutations that can result in further progression to pancreatic cancer.

Consuming a high-quality diet is associated with lower risk of pancreatic c People who reported dietary intake that was most consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans had lower risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published Aug. 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

NIH scientists visualize how cancer chromosome abnormalities form in living For the first time, scientists have directly observed events that lead to the formation of a chromosome abnormality that is often found in cancer cells. The abnormality, called a translocation, occurs when part of a chromosome breaks off and becomes attached to another chromosome. A chromosome translocation is visualized with images within circles indicating chromosome breaks.

Mechanism offers promising new approach for harnessing the immune system to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered a way to target the immune system to shrink or eliminate tumors in mice without causing autoimmune problems. Researchers also found evidence that the same mechanism may operate in humans.

Genetics: More than merely a mutated gene If two women have the same genetic mutation that puts them at higher-than-average risk for a disease such as breast cancer, why does only one develop the disease?

Technique filters cancer where chemo cant reach A cancer therapy that removes malignant cells from a patient\\\'s cerebrospinal fluid may soon be available to prevent metastases and decrease complications of cancers

Large study reveals increased cancer risks associated with family history o A family history of cancer increases the risk of other members of the family developing not only the same cancer but also a different (discordant) cancer, according to a large study of 23,000 people in Italy and Switzerland.

NYU-Poly nano scientists reach holy grail in label-free cancer marker detec Just months after setting a record for detecting the smallest single virus in solution, researchers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University announced a new breakthrough: A nano-enhanced version of their biosensor detected a single cancer marker protein and even smaller molecules below the mass of all known markers.

Breakthrough in detecting DNA mutations could help treat tuberculosis, canc Researchers at the University of Washington and Rice University have developed a new method that can look at a specific segment of DNA and pinpoint a single mutation, which could help diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis.

Molecular robots can help researchers build more targeted therapeutics Many drugs such as agents for cancer or autoimmune diseases have nasty side effects because while they kill disease-causing cells, they also affect healthy cells. Now a new study has demonstrated a technique for developing more targeted drugs, by using molecular "robots" to hone in on more specific populations of cells.

Putting the brakes on inflammation A team led by a UA researcher has discovered a previously unknown mechanism that prevents the immune system from going into overdrive. The findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying autoimmune disorders such as Crohn's disease, allergies, chronic inflammation and cancer, and offer potential applications for therapies.

New plan of attack in cancer fight New research by Harvard scientists shows that, under certain conditions, using two drugs in a "targeted therapy" -- a treatment approach designed to interrupt cancer's ability to grow and spread -- nearly all cancers could be effectively cured. 7/18/2013 3:00 PM

Deadliest cancers may respond to new drug treatment strategy UC San Francisco researchers have found a way to knock down cancers caused by a tumor-driving protein called �myc,� paving the way for patients with myc-driven cancers to enroll in clinical trials for experimental treatments.

Protecting the body in good times and bad Brandeis scientists bring us a step closer to understanding how to control cancer cells without harming healthy ones.

Self-perpetuating signals may drive tumor cells to spread A team of international researchers has identified a self-perpetuating signaling circuit inside connective tissue cells that allows these cells to form a front and a back and propel themselves in a particular direction over a long period of time.

Join the fight to beat pancreatic cancer in Colorado!

http://www.pancreaticcancerresearchevents.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1093544

We're searching for volunteers!

Has pancreatic cancer affected your family?  Do you want to help find a cure?  Then the Denver Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Walk need your help!  

Here's your opportunity to give to the cause with your time and energy.  Whether you're looking to join the Walk Committee or the want to be a "day of volunteer" call us! We need your help!

Click here to learn more or call Ann Walsh at 516.803.2419.

Why I walk ...

Tiaras, fancy dresses and magic wands are all part of growing up and these two cousins love to play princess. Unfortunately, neither of these budding Cinderellas had the chance to show their grandmother their perfect curtsy or tell her about all the palaces and royal balls in their imagination. 

Each year, since their grandmother was diagnosed, their parents have traveled around the country, walking for a cure.

We walk because ... we never got to play princess with our Grandma Hildy. 

Celebrities Join The Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer

Click here to check all the celebrities who've joined the fight against pancreatic cancer!

Watch the curePC television public service announcements to find out why so many extraordinary people have joined with Cablevision and The Lustgarten Foundation in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Mayo Clinic Researchers Decode Origin of Inflammation-Driven Pancreatic Cancer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have revealed the process by which chronic inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatitis, morphs into pancreatic cancer. They say their findings point to ways to identify pancreatitis patients at risk of pancreatic cancer and to potential drug therapies that might reverse the process.

MULTIMEDIA ALERT: For audio and video of Geou-Yarh Liou, Ph.D. discussing this study, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

The study, published online today in The Journal of Cell Biology, maps how inflammation pushes acinar cells in the pancreas — those that produce digestive enzymes — to transform into duct-like cells. As these cells change, they can acquire mutations that can result in further progression to pancreatic cancer, says senior author Peter Storz, Ph.D., a biochemist and molecular biologist at Mayo Clinic.

"We don't know why these cells reprogram themselves, but it may be because producing enzymes in an organ that is injured due to inflammation may cause more damage," Dr. Storz says. "The good news, however, is that this process is reversible, and we identified a number of molecules involved in this pathway that might be targeted to help push these new duct-like cells back into acinar cells, thus eliminating the risk of cancer development."

The scientists are testing the ability of drugs already on the market to reverse this cellular transformation in the pancreas in mice models of human pancreatic cancer. Dr. Storz's research team traced the pathway leading from inflammation in the pancreas to development of cancer in the organ. They followed what happened once macrophages responded to an inflamed pancreas. Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that eats foreign material in the body.

"The belief in the field has been that macrophages were there to remove damaged cells in the organ," Dr. Storz says. "We found they weren't that benign. In fact, we discovered macrophages themselves drive the transformation and provide the setting for development of cancer."

The research team also discovered that if the pancreas is inflamed, fluid from the pancreas contains signaling molecules that induce acinar cells to transform into duct-like cells. Study co-author Massimo Raimondo, M.D., agastroenterologist, is part of a Mayo team that has developed a method to collect this fluid from the pancreas during a routine upper endoscopy test.

"We want to also investigate whether these two enzymes can serve as an early warning system, a marker of pancreatic cancer risk, in patients with pancreatitis," Dr. Storz says.

"Our hope is that we can detect that risk before cancer happens, and use a treatment that reverses any possibility that pancreatic cancer will develop," he says.

The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants (CA135102, CA140182 and CA159222), theAmerican Association for Cancer Research, and a Mayo Clinic SPORE in Pancreatic Cancer grant.

Co-authors include Geou-Yarh Liou, Ph.D., Heike Doeppler, Brian Necela, Ph.D., Murli Krishna, M.D., and Howard Crawford, Ph.D.

About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center

As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 507-538-7623.

In Battle With Cancer, Doctor Asks Others To Perform Acts Of Kindness

October 2014

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) - A hero of a doctor is asking others to be heroes, too, in their communities.

Jill Pechacek, who was recently diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer, is challenging others to perform random acts of kindness to benefit their communities. The challenge has spread to all 50 states and internationally.

In her 29:11 challenge, Pechacek is asking people to perform at least 29 random acts of kindness over 11 days, for instance: hugs, homemade cards, opening doors for others and more.

Pechacek is a co-founder and physician at Aspen Family Care in Highlands Ranch. She wrote recently on the practice’s website: “Thank you so much for all the love and support that you have provided my family over these last few weeks! While this time has been very challenging, I have drawn so much hope and inspiration from each one of you. We have been blessed with so many acts of kindness, and while these kind acts are incredible, it is the thoughtfulness behind these acts that is truly the most amazing!”

LINK: Jill Pechacek’s Caring Bridge Site

Her coworkers in Highlands Ranch recently dressed up as superheroes to support the hero she’s been in their lives and careers.

“I love her, I miss her,” a co-worker dressed up as Green Lantern said.

Pechacek said she is overwhelmed by the love and encouragement she’s received. So she had the idea of making that kindness contagious. Her challenge is based on a bible verse about hope. The call went viral.

She read to CBS4’s Kathy Walsh from an email that listed the acts people have performed in her challenge: money given to a homeless man, a 100 percent tip to a struggling waiter, a tank of gas filled, more than 37 random hugs and more.

The cancer’s survival rate is 1 percent.

“That’s all I focus on is the 1 percent,” she said, “and I know that I can be there.”

She has beaten the odds before. Twenty years ago, she survived ovarian cancer.

She places her faith in a higher power: “God’s got this” is a motto she invokes often.


“If I can be someone’s hope or someone’s miracle and empower and inspire other people, then I’m honored that God chose me,” she said.

To watch her video or to learn more, CLICK HERE.

Consuming a high-quality diet is associated with lower risk of pancreatic cancer

Contact: Zachary Rathner
Zachary.Rathner@oup.com
919-677-2697
Journal of the National Cancer Institute 

People who reported dietary intake that was most consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans had lower risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published August 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Previous studies investigating the relationship between food and nutrient intake and pancreatic cancer have yielded inconsistent results. The U.S. Government issues evidence-based dietary guidelines that provide the basis for federal nutrition policy and education activities to promote overall health for Americans. The authors evaluated how closely study participants' diets matched the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2005), and then compared their risk of pancreatic cancer.

Hannah Arem, Ph.D.,, from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, and colleagues calculated HEI-2005 scores for 537,218 participants in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study (ages 50-71 years), based on responses to food frequency questionnaires. Pancreatic cancer risk was then compared between those with high and low HEI-2005 scores, accounting for the influence of other known pancreatic cancer risk factors.

Among the study participants there were 2,383 new cases of pancreatic cancer. Overall, the investigators observed a 15% lower risk of pancreatic cancer among participants with the highest HEI-2005 score compared to those with the lowest HEI-2005 score. This association was stronger among overweight or obese men compared to men of normal weight, but there was no difference for normal vs. overweight or obese women. While the authors adjusted for known risk factors such as smoking and diabetes status, they caution that other health factors not collected in the questionnaires may be associated with a more healthful diet and might explain some of the observed reduced risk. They also noted that diet is difficult to measure and the HEI-2005 was not designed specifically for the purpose of overall cancer prevention.

According to Arem and colleagues "the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are issued to promote overall health, including the maintenance of a healthy weight and disease prevention. Our findings support the hypothesis that a high-quality diet may also play a role in reducing pancreatic cancer risk." Future studies are needed to confirm these findings.

In an accompanying editorial, Rachel Ballard-Barbash, M.D., and Susan M. Krebs-Smith, Ph.D., from the Applied Research Program at the National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD), and Marian L. Neuhouser, Ph.D., from the Cancer Prevention Program in the Division of Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle, WA) discuss that progress has been made in understanding associations between diet and cancer risk, but they have not resulted in noticeable changes in cancer incidence in the US. They conclude, "Practical and actionable dietary recommendations that are based on sound research should ultimately reduce patient suffering and treatment-related expenditures from preventable cancers."

###

Contact Info:
Article: NCI Office of Media Relations, ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov, 301-496-6641

Editorial: Rachel Ballard-Barbash, Ph.D., barbashr@mail.nih.gov

Pancreatic Cancer in the News

	pancreatic cancer Daily update ⋅ September 6, 2014
	NEWS
	WKBN stands up to cancer WKBN.com YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – As part of Stand Up To Cancer, WKBN is ... 20 will raise money for Guthrie in his battle against pancreatic cancer. Flag as irrelevant
	Gran off to parliament for debate on cancer South Wales Argus Linda Reardon, from Llantarnam, created the Families in Support of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness group in 2011 after losing three members of her ... East Lancs soap star Julie takes cancer campaign to Parliament - This Is Lancashire Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	Drug go-ahead tonic for cancer sufferers Southwales Evening Post Experts say Abraxane will help extend the lives of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer by up to two months, and for some patients it can be even ... Flag as irrelevant
	CBS News Katie Couric set to host star-studded "Stand Up to Cancer" event CBS News Couric lost her first husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer in 1998. Couric's sister, Virginia state senator Emily Couric, died in 2001 from pancreatic ... Flag as irrelevant
	CBS Local “Stand Up To Cancer” show at 7pm Friday Fox11online.com “Stand Up To Cancer” show at 7pm Friday ... Administration (FDA) of a new combination treatment for pancreatic cancer, as well as FDA “breakthrough ... From Phone Banks to Facebook: Katie Couric's Stand Up to Cancer Broadcast Plans - Hollywood Reporter Stand Up To Cancer at 8 p.m. on September 5 - W*USA 9 Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	Newbury Weekly News Group Le Tour de Boswell stops in for a Newbury coffee Newbury Weekly News Group The charity ride was raising money for Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund following the death two years ago from the disease of Boswell's founder ... Flag as irrelevant
	Philly.com Stand Up To Cancer TONIGHT on 6abc 6abc.com Stand Up to Cancer is also funding a local Dream Team, which is having success with new treatments for pancreatic cancer. As government research ... Flag as irrelevant
	WEB
	cancer quotes of hope - Bing Images pinterest.com This Pin was discovered by Vicky Cramer. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest. Flag as irrelevant