Cancer Care in Colorado Springs, CO

September 2010

Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services Have Signed a Letter of Intent to Develop Comprehensive Oncology Center Colorado Springs, Colo. – Penrose-St. Francis Health Services and Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers have signed a letter of intent to collaborate and create a comprehensive oncology center for both inpatient and outpatient services. The new partnership will enable them to jointly provide patients with coordinated multi-disciplinary care, high quality clinical outcomes, access to leading edge technology and clinical trials, cost-efficient care, outstanding patient experience, research and innovation, and a holistic approach to patient care. As this is only a letter of intent, many of the details of the partnership remain to be worked out. The essence of the agreement is that RMCC will focus on medical oncology services and Penrose-St. Francis will focus on radiation oncology services. All parties anticipate this new program will be up and running by early 2011. “While both organizations already provide outstanding care for the cancer patients in our community, this new partnership will open up new resources that may not have been available to cancer patients in the past,” said Margaret Sabin, president and CEO, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. “We are pleased to partner with Penrose-St. Francis Health Services on this unique opportunity to offer more integrated cancer care services for people in the Colorado Springs area,” added Dr. Robert Sayre, medical oncologist, Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers.

Obesity and lack of exercise could enhance the risk of pancreatic cancer

August 15, 2007

Obesity and aversion to exercise have become hallmarks of modern society – and a new study suggests that a blood protein linked to these lifestyle factors may be an indicator for an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute report their findings in the August 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 

In a study of 144 patients with pancreatic cancer and 429 people without the disease, a subset of patients with low blood levels of a protein called IGFBP-1 were at approximately twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Low blood levels of this protein have previously been linked to excess weight and lack of physical activity. Their data originated from tens of thousands of men and women enrolled in four large-scale cohort studies – the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, the Physicians’ Health Study and the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study – all of which followed the health of participants over numerous years. 

“The prognosis for many patients with pancreatic cancer remains poor, so it is vitally important that we indentify and better understand risk factors for the disease, particularly risk factors that are modifiable” said lead study author, Brian M. Wolpin, M.D., attending physician at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. “In addition to cigarette smoking, exercise and weight control appear to be important modifiable risk factors for this difficult disease.”

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in America – over 33,000 Americans will likely die from the disease in 2007, according to projections from the American Cancer Society. Studies indicate that smoking is responsible for about 25 percent of pancreatic cancer cases, and obesity and lack of exercise may account for a similar amount, Dr. Wolpin said. 

According to Dr. Wolpin, previous research has linked IGFBP-1 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein one) with increased risk of colorectal and endometrial cancer. Like its name suggests, IGFBP-1 is a molecule that binds with insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a hormone normally associated with growth and development. In the laboratory, IGF has been noted to increase the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Since one role of IGFBP-1 is to sequester IGF, 

Dr. Wolpin and his colleagues were interested as to whether people who developed pancreatic cancer had lower blood levels of the IGFBP-1 protein. 

To study the relationship between IGFBP-1 and pancreatic cancer, Dr. Wolpin and his colleagues chose pancreatic cancer patients enrolled in one of the four cohort studies and with blood drawn four or more years before developing cancer. The blood levels of IGFBP-1 from these patients were compared to those taken from 429 cancer-free people also enrolled in one of the cohort studies. According to their findings, patients with low blood levels of IGFBP-1 were nearly twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
“We still have much to learn about the mechanisms by which obesity and sedentary lifestyle may contribute to the risk of pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Wolpin said. “While it is too early to discuss IGFBP-1 as a suitable blood marker for pancreatic cancer, it is never too early to address the lifestyle issues that may contribute to low levels of IGFBP-1 and to an elevated risk of this difficult disease.”

The study was supported by The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the National Cancer Institute.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication, CR, is a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. It provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact: Greg Lester
lester@aacr.org
267-646-0554

SOURCE: American Association for Cancer Research
 
http://www.rockymountaincancercenters.com/canc_headlines_tmpl.cfm?categoryid=8&pagename=26&headlineID=1315 

Pancreatic Cancer Genome Project: Clinical Implications

Lustgarten Foundation PSA: Bryan Cranston

Advanced pancreatic cancer clinical trial at University of Colorado Cancer Center

11/23/2010  

Combination of targeted therapy, chemotherapy, showed promise in Phase I trial 

AURORA, Colo. - The University of Colorado Cancer Center is enrolling patients in a clinical trial for a new treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer that showed promise in early clinical trials.

“Pancreatic cancer remains of the most difficult to treat,” says Wells Messersmith, MD, FACP, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center gastrointestinal medical oncology at University of Colorado Hospital. “In fact it has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers, with only six percent of patients surviving more than five years from diagnosis. People with advanced disease live only a few months after diagnosis, and there hasn’t been much improvement in survival over the past 40 years. That’s why this new treatment is exciting.”

The new oral treatment, IPI-926 from Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc., takes a new approach—blocking the Hedgehog pathway. Scientists think this pathway plays a key role in passing information to adult stem cells that regulate tissue regeneration, and that if the pathway breaks down, diseases like cancer occur.

The Phase 1b/2 clinical trial is for patients with previously untreated pancreatic cancer that has spread beyond the initial tumor site (metastatic disease). Patients enrolled in the trial will be treated with a combination of IPI-926 and Gemzar® (gemcitabine), a chemotherapy drug used to treat advanced pancreatic cancer. 

In a Phase I study, a single daily dose of IPI-926 was well-tolerated and resulted in clinical activity in patients with basal cell carcinoma. The new trial will first aim to determine the recommended combined therapy dose for a multi-center, randomized, double-blind Phase 2 study, which will evaluate overall survival, progression-free survival, time to progression and overall response.

“Clinical trials that evaluate potential new treatments for pancreatic cancer, like this study with IPI-926, represent important efforts and potentially promising clinical advances to find more effective ways to better treat patients and make a meaningful difference in their lives,” says Messersmith, associate professor of medical oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “There are many patients in Denver, in Colorado and in the Rocky Mountain region who are waiting for an alternative, and we are hopeful that our efforts will have a positive impact.”

About 43,140 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and 36,800 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society website, http://cancer.org. About 430 Coloradoans died from the disease in 2009, the website said.

Clinical Contact Information

For information about the Colorado arm of this clinical trial, please contact Stacy Grolnic, UCCC Phase I Team Coordinator, at 720-848-0655 or stacy.grolnic@ucdenver.edu.

About the University of Colorado Cancer Center

The University of Colorado Cancer Center is the Rocky Mountain region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. NCI has given only 40 cancer centers this designation, deeming membership as “the best of the best.” Headquartered on the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, UCCC is a consortium of three state universities (Colorado State University, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Colorado Denver) and five institutions (The Children’s Hospital, Denver Health, Denver VA Medical Center, National Jewish Health and University of Colorado Hospital). Together, our 440+ members are working to ease the cancer burden through cancer care, research, education and prevention and control. Learn more at www.uccc.info. 

About Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Infinity (NASDAQ: INFI) is an innovative drug discovery and development company seeking to discover, develop, and deliver to patients best-in-class medicines for difficult-to-treat diseases. Infinity combines proven scientific expertise with a passion for developing novel small molecule drugs that target emerging disease pathways. Infinity’s programs in the inhibition of the Hsp90 chaperone system, the Hedgehog pathway, fatty acid amide hydrolase and phosphoinositide-3-kinase are evidence of its innovative approach to drug discovery and development. For more information on Infinity, please refer to the company’s website at http://www.infi.com.

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Contact: Lynn Clark, 303-724-3160, lynn.clark@ucdenver.edu

Confused about your cancer diagnosis? Need to talk to someone going through the same thing.  We just discovered that Compass Care has a pancreatic cancer forum.  Their site is also filled with online resources and generally they provide a supportive environment where you can ask questions, research information and get valuable feedback from other cancer patients and their loved ones.  Might be worth checking out.   

If you check the site out, please be sure to report back and let us know what you think.  I am sure others in the Denver area and Colorado-wide you like to hear about the resources that you find most helpful.

http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/cancers/pancreatic-cancer/1,0,119,27.htm?source=CMPASPPC&c=Google:Google-Compass-Pancreatic_Cancer:Pancreatic_Cancer|General:pancreatic_cancer:Broad&ef_id=ORtNWuo@rWYAAMNa:20110224174828:s

Patrick Swayze's widow calls for more research into pancreatic cancer

 
February 18, 2011|By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times

Patrick Swayze's widow, Lisa Niemi Swayze, spoke in Washington this week about a bill that would make pancreatic cancer a federal research priority, according to a CNN report.
Swayze died nearly a year and a half ago from the disease, nearly 22 months after being diagnosed. This was actually an uncommonly long amount of time to survive; as the National Center for Biotechnology Information points out, average survival is usually less than a year.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/18/news/la-heb-patrick-swayze-cancer-20110218

Dody Norban Memorial Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk in Tempe, AZ

 

Join us on Sunday, February 27, 2011 in Tempe, AZ.

On February 8, 2008 Dody Norban, devoted wife of 50 years and mother of three, lost her battle with pancreatic cancer. Our family recognizes the important work that The Lustgarten Foundation is doing to create awareness and much needed research against pancreatic cancer. Now is the time to show your support for the loved ones in your life that has been affected by this horrible disease as our family shows our support for Dody. Please join our team of walkers on February 27th in an effort to raise money to eradicate pancreatic cancer.

We extend a special thank you to the Norban family for organizing this event.

Sunday, February 27, 2011 at Tempe Beach Park
Registration 8:00 am | Walk starts at 9:00 am

 For more information, visit: http://www.tempe.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=446604

Ask Dr. Amy

Dr. Amy D’Aprix, MSW, PhD, CSA, is a life transition consultant, author, professional speaker, facilitator, coach and expert in aging, retirement and caregiving. She is President of Dr. Amy Inc. and the Executive Director of the DAI Foundation on Caregiving.  

 

She is a regular contributor to caregiverstress.com:

http://www.caregiverstress.com/ask-dr-amy/

I don’t think it’s good for my mom to be living alone so far away. How can I convince her to move?

Question: My mother has been living alone since my father died. She is in the house they both lived in for 40 years. I don’t think it is good for her to be living alone and have suggested that she move nearer to me and my wife. We live about 3 hours away. I am… read more

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How do I talk to my father about his end-of-life plans?

Question:  My father was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. I want to talk with him about what he would like for his end-of-life plans but I don’t have any idea how to start the conversation. He never has liked to talk about personal things. Do you have any ideas about how I can approach this? … read more

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How do I get my siblings more involved in helping me take care of our parents?

Question:  I have three brothers and sisters but they all live in other parts of the country. I live in the same town as my parents. I’m happy to do things for my parents, but I think my siblings believe they don’t have to do anything because they live far away. How do I get… read more

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I’m trying to balance caring for my mother, keeping up at work, and managing my own household. Do you have any suggestions?

Question: My mother is very disabled from a stroke, and recently she had another stroke. I’m doing my best to care for her at home, but I also have a husband and three children, and I work full-time. My mother’s mind hasn’t been the same since her first stroke. She is often very confused and doesn’t… read more

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How do I tell my mother that she can’t keep calling me at work all the time?

Question:  I’m feeling very frustrated because my mother is constantly calling me at work and it is interfering with my job. My mother lives by herself since my father died. I think she may be bored and doesn’t know what to do with herself. I have tried to explain that her phone calls are very… read more

The stress of caregiving

Are you stressed out caring for an aging parent or spouse?  Overwhelmed with balancing their life with yours?  You're not alone.  Here are some tips to help you take care of yourself and those you love.

Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others

You’re at work. The phone rings. Caller ID shows it’s your mom. You sigh. Shake your head and wish the call would just go away. You think, “I was just there. What does she need now? How am I possibly going to get my work done?”
Most caregivers have other important and pressing responsibilities, so the added responsibility of caring for a senior loved one is likely to cause both emotional and physical stress on the caregiver. In fact, according to a survey by Home Instead Senior Care, 31% of family caregivers admit they'd like more help.
The first step in dealing with caregiver stress is to recognize the physical signs.
read more

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Fitness & Nutrition

As they age, seniors can encounter a number of obstacles to remaining safe and healthy at home. One is fitness and the other nutrition.

If your loved one has lost interest in eating, you’re not alone. Certain illnesses and medications can impact an older adult’s appetite. What’s more, mealtimes may have lost their appeal if Mom or Dad is living alone.

Staying fit and active also can seem like a difficult goal for many seniors who are unable to do what they once did. Motivating older adults to eat healthy and stay fit are among the most daunting challenges that many family caregivers face.
read more

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Caregiver Communication

Just when you thought that family caregiving couldn't get more complicated, a new issue seems to pop up. And you're left wondering what to do. How do you begin to talk with your elderly mom about getting more help? When do you discuss with your dad giving up the car keys? What do you say to your brothers and sisters when you're stuck with all the caregiving and you can't count on your siblings to assist? When you're a family caregiver, the list of possible caregiver questions and issues is endless.
read more

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Senior Safety

Nearly 90 percent of seniors say they want to stay in their home. Doing so gives them a wonderful sense of continued independence.
But having mom or dad live alone can be a source of worry for their adult children. The, “What if?” scenarios can often overwhelm the mind. “What if she falls down?” “What if he forgets something on the stove?” “What if she doesn’t tell me it’s getting harder for her to get around?”
If you feel like this, you’re not alone. In 2007 the AARP surveyed boomer women and found that two-thirds are concerned about their parents’ ability to live independently.
read more

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Senior Housing & Care Options

If caring for your loved one has become too demanding or if it is just unsafe to leave the senior home alone for a period of time, it may be time to consider a new living arrangement.
Most seniors think that where they live is an all or nothing affair: stay at home or be sent to a nursing home. But to the contrary, there are a whole host of services and housing options available today that can fit a wide range of needs and life styles – including remaining in the family home.
read more

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 Dementia/Alzheimer's Disease

Caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease often requires a great deal of time and patience, and it can cause great stress to the caregiver.
Both illnesses lead to symptoms of serious changes in memory, personality and behavior. For some it often ends up with the afflicted needing total care, 24 hours per day. This can be emotionally and physically demanding for a family caregiver, a grown child taking care of her/his parent, or a spouse caring for his/her lifelong partner.
Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia can help.
read more

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 Planning for Care

It’s always good to get out ahead of the curve. Advanced planning can go a long way toward easing stress for both the senior and the caregiver. And, in the event of an emergency, all parties will be prepared to manage through what could be a difficult situation.
read more

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Laughter: the Best Medicine

Have you laughed today? Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, is one of the best stress relievers around. When laughter is shared, it brings people closer together and increases everyone's overall mood and health. Enjoy some of these jokes we heard lately.
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Getting Help

“…All you have to do is call, and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah. You've got a friend…” James Taylor, You’ve got a friend

Having friends and family who want to help with your caregiving duties, even if it’s just to pick your kids up from school while you take your parent to the doctor, is a blessing and relief.
But sometimes there are situations where you are a distance from your loved one who needs care or the person you are caring for is resistant to your outside help, and you wonder what you can do.
And, despite our friends' and family members' best convincing that they are there for you; sometimes it’s really just hard to ask for help. But it’s OK to ask. And truth be told, people really do want to help in a time of need, because helping out usually makes everyone feel good.
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Stress & Spousal Caregiving

In sickness and in health…that was likely among the vows you took with your spouse on your wedding day. So, you wouldn't think twice about caring for your partner if he or she is in a situation where there's a growing need for your care and assistance.
While this is a natural and loving reaction, it is important to recognize that spousal caregiving often leads to significant changes in your marital relationship and it can sometimes leave the caregiver feeling overwhelmed and under stress.
read more

For more information or to connect with others, go to: http://www.caregiverstress.com/helpful-tips/

How to Find a Cancer Treatment Trial: A 10-Step Guide

Are you or someone you love recently diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer?  Are looking to participate in a clinical trial?  The National Cancer Institute may be able to help.  Check out their "10 Step Guide" ... below is the introduction through step 2 ... for the whole guide, visit the NCI wesbite at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/education/treatment-trial-guide/page1/AllPages 


Introduction

This guide will help you look for a cancer treatment clinical trial. It does not provide medical advice and should not be used in place of advice from your doctor or other members of your health care team. Your health care team and your loved ones, if you wish, can assist you in deciding whether or not a clinical trial is right for you. The decision to take part in a clinical trial is yours alone to make.

This guide will help you to:

• Gather the information you need to begin your search for a clinical trial.
• Identify Web sites that have lists of open clinical trials. Open trials are those that are accepting eligible people who wish to participate.
• Learn about clinical trials for your type and stage of cancer.
• Ask questions that will help you decide whether or not to take part in a trial.

Helpful Tip: This guide contains links to other Web pages and sites. Links to pages and sites external to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are included for convenience and informational purposes only. Including these links cannot be taken as an endorsement by NCI of the Web pages and sites. See the NCI Web site’s Disclaimer of Endorsement and Liability policy.

A Word About Timing:

Some treatment trials will not accept people who have already been treated for their cancer. The researchers conducting these trials are hoping to find improved cancer treatments for people with newly diagnosed disease.

• If you have just found out that you have cancer, the time to think about joining a trial is before you have any treatment. Talk with your doctor about how quickly you need to make a treatment decision.

Other treatment trials are looking for people who have already been treated for their cancer.

• If you have already had one or more forms of cancer treatment and are looking for a new treatment option, there are still clinical trials for you to think about.

Before You Start Your Search: Steps 1-3

This section will help you to:

• Understand clinical trials better.
• Find clinical trials that may be a good option for you.

 

Step 1: Understand Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that involve people. They are the final step in a long process that begins with laboratory research and testing in animals. Many treatments used today are the result of past clinical trials.

If you would like to learn more about clinical trials, or review your understanding of them before going further, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies can help you understand what cancer clinical trials are, why they are important, and how they work.

 

Step 2: Talk With Your Doctor

When thinking about clinical trials, your best starting point is your doctor or another member of your health care team.

Usually, it is a doctor who may know about a clinical trial, or search for one, that could be a good option for you and your type of cancer. He or she can provide information and answer questions while you think about joining a clinical trial.

In some cases, your doctor may not be taking part in clinical trials or may not be very familiar with them. If your doctor doesn’t have information to give you about clinical trials, you may want to get a second opinion about your treatment options and about participating in a clinical trial.

To learn more ... http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/education/treatment-trial-guide/page1/AllPages

Oklahoma researchers target pancreatic cancer

Two Oklahoma research teams published their findings on pancreatic cancer in scientific journals this month. One team is trying to find an early detection method. The others work could lead to new treatment options.

  

Published: February 15, 2011

Oklahoma researchers may be on track to develop early detection and treatment options for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

Two research teams from the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Oklahoma Cancer Center published their findings in separate scientific journals this month.

The first study used a mass spectrometer to compare the blood of 33 pancreatic cancer patients to the blood of 30 disease-free people. The spectrometer can indicate molecular changes caused by disease. Positive predictive values for stage 1 and stage 2 cancers were found in 79 percent of the cases.

The team, led by Dr. Jay Hanas, hopes the research will lead to a blood test that can detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages.

People with a high risk of pancreatic cancer, such as smokers and people with a family history of the disease, could be targeted for screening.

The team's work was published in the Cancer Investigation journal.
The second study sought to understand the role of nonembryonic cancer stem cells in the spread of pancreatic cancer.

The work is based on the belief that cancer originates in cancer stem cells, which are not targeted by current therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation. The team, led by Dr. Courtney Houchen, focused on a stem cell protein designated DCAMKL-1.

The team discovered that blocking the protein, which is responsible for regulating tumor growth, inhibits tumor development, growth and metastasis.

The team's research was published in the Cancer Research journal.

Julie Linse, of Oklahoma City, just celebrated the two-year anniversary of her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. It was a happy occasion because many patients die shortly after they are diagnosed.

Linse's cancer has stabilized — for now, at least. She said Houchen's work to find a way to block stem cell proteins could lead to a therapy that keeps cancer from recurring.

“They really are my heroes,” she said. “They are out there in the trenches trying to find a cure.”

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-researchers-target-pancreatic-cancer/article/3540064#ixzz1E9OWqd37

What you need to know about Pancreatic Cancer

Looking for information about Cancer of the Pancreas?  Download this free booklet from the National Cancer Institute ...  http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/pancreas

About This Booklet

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet is about cancer* that starts in the pancreas. This disease is also called pancreatic cancer.

Each year in the United States, more than 43,000 people are diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. Most are over 65 years old.

There are two main types of pancreatic cancer. Most often, pancreatic cancer starts in the ducts that carry pancreatic juices. This type is called exocrine pancreatic cancer. This booklet is about this type. Much less often, pancreatic cancer begins in the cells that make hormones. This type may be called endocrine pancreatic cancer or islet cell cancer. This booklet is not about endocrine pancreatic cancer. NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) can provide information about this disease.

Learning about medical care for cancer of the pancreas can help you take an active part in making choices about your care. This booklet tells about:

• Diagnosis and staging
  
• Treatment and supportive care
  
• Taking part in research studies

This booklet has lists of questions that you may want to ask your doctor. Many people find it helpful to take a list of questions to a doctor visit. To help remember what your doctor says, you can take notes. You may also want to have a family member or friend go with you when you talk with the doctor—to take notes, ask questions, or just listen.

For the latest information about cancer of the pancreas, please visit NCI’s Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/pancreatic.

Also, NCI’s Cancer Information Service can answer your questions about cancer. We can also send you NCI booklets and fact sheets. Call 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) or chat with us online using LiveHelp, NCI’s instant messaging service, at http://www.cancer.gov/livehelp.

What is Pancreatic Cancer?

 

Here's how the Mayo Clinic defines pancreatic cancer. 

Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars.


Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis, even when diagnosed early. Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death. Signs and symptoms may not appear until pancreatic cancer is quite advanced and surgical removal isn't possible.

The website also gives extensive information on symptoms, causes and risk factors.  Learn more at ...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pancreatic-cancer/DS00357

You can also sign up for their newsletter, Living with Cancer, through the above link.

2011 Westlake Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk/Run

Congratulations and thanks to the more than 1,000 participants who helped raise $115,000 for the Westlake Village Walk/Run this past weekend!

Taking a step closer to finding a cure!