Why we walk in Denver ...

Thousands of people across the country are inspired to walk each year for a cure.  Over six years ago, Meg Phillips and her family introduced Denver to the Lustgarten Foundation by kicking off the first annual fundraising walk for pancreatic cancer.  Today, the walk has raised over $350,000 towards pancreatic cancer research.  

I walk because ....

Who inspired you?

Each day more and more people join the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Who inspires you to join?

Pancreatic Cancer in the News.

Mucus protects uterine and pancreatic cancer cells UPI.com HOUSTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A "vicious cycle" produces mucus that protects uterine and pancreatic cancer cells and promotes their proliferation, U.S. ... See all stories on this topic »	UPI.com
Nuvilex, Inc. Designing Protocol for Its Next Pancreatic Cancer Trial Wall Street Journal BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwired - Sep 23, 2013) - In a newly released article, Goldman Small Cap Research, a stock market research firm focused on the small ... See all stories on this topic »
Ryan Buell's Cancer Battle: 'Paranormal State' Star Opens Up About ... Huffington Post "Paranormal State" star Ryan Buell was only 29 years old when he was delivered the shocking news that he had pancreatic cancer. Now the 31-year-old ... See all stories on this topic »
Paranormal State's Ryan Buell on His Cancer Recovery: 'I Had to Go ... People Magazine ... his own mortality when, at age 29, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. ... most people die of other complications due to the cancer, like kidney failure. See all stories on this topic »
Cancer community to kick off support network at GVSU Grand Valley Lanthorn cancer free, but now Sloop's 83-year-old mother has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “The cancer was caught early and is encapsulated, so we're ... See all stories on this topic »
Corrie's Julie Hesmondhalgh on her controversial storyline: I support ... Mirror.co.uk Last month nearly nine million traumatised viewers watched as lovable Hayley was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer and given just months to live. See all stories on this topic »	Mirror.co.uk
East Lancashire doctor indebted to 'Mad Dogs' Lancashire Telegraph A BRAVE GP who had life-changing surgery to beat pancreatic cancer has expressed his 'heartfelt thanks' to friends who supported him through his treatment. See all stories on this topic »	Lancashire Telegraph
DrugNews Update: MDL Court for Byetta Lawsuits Issues Latest ... Virtual-Strategy Magazine (press release) A federal multidistrict litigation court recently created to handle lawsuits alleging the drug caused pancreatic cancer has issued the latest update on case ... See all stories on this topic »
Asia-Pacific (APAC) Solid Tumors Market Size, Share, Forecast and ... Sacramento Bee The key drivers for growth in this market include: new product approvals in ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers; expected launches from the promising ... See all stories on this topic »
Research and Markets: Global Oncology Drug Pipeline Capsule ... The Herald | HeraldOnline.com ... trials, preclinical research, and drug discovery for Bladder Cancer, Brain Cancer, ... Cell Lung Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, and Renal Cancer. See all stories on this topic »

Meaningful Mondays

Why we walk in Denver ...

Pat walks because there is one wedding anniversary that she didn't get to celebrate.

I walk because ... 

Meaningful Mondays

Woman Dying of Cancer Seeks New Partner For Her Extra-Marital Lover

By Emily Smith, Fri, August 30, 2013

Married Connecticut woman “Sharon B” decided to post a Craigslist advertisement searching for a new partner for her lover after she discovered she was dying of cancer.

“I was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” Sharon wrote. “I do not have long to live.”
Sharon said she is looking for a woman, not for her husband but a lover, to take up with him after their affair of five years, submitting the post with the title: “Very unusual request.”

“One of my last regrets is that I will be abandoning my wonderful intimate partner,” she wrote.
In the post, Sharon described the man as kind, generous and “very attentive to my sexual needs.” She seeks someone who can care for her lover and someone who is worthy of his attention.

Sharon also promised to explain the situation of her extramarital affair in later communications, calling it a long story.

The man she advertised for is apparently unaware of her intentions, though she is confident in persuading him to contact respondents who she deems worthy.

Sources: Daily Mail, Jezebel

Breakthrough for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy

The FDA announced on Friday, September 6 that it approved the use of Abraxane in combination with Gemcitabine as first line treatment of patients with advanced, metastatic pancreatic cancer. The approval came as a result of successful clinical trials that demonstrated a clinically meaningful increase in overall survival with a good safety profile.  The trials increased overall survival by 30% ( 8.5 vs. 6.7 months);  1 year survival rates increased by 60% and 2 year survival rates more than doubled - considered a statistically significant improvement. This combination of drugs will now be the standard of care recommended for most patients.  For more than 15 years, gemcitabine alone has been considered the standard of care. The clinical trials were led by Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, one of the co-leaders of the Pancreatic Cancer Dream Team that the Lustgarten Foundation presently funds along with Stand Up To Cancer. The Foundation expresses gratitude to Dr. Von Hoff, his team, and Celgene, the manufacturer of the drug.  We are funding further trials conducted by Dr. Von Hoff to test additional applications of the drug to improve effectiveness, including varying the dosages, time intervals, and other combinations. We want to share this encouraging news that can rightfully be considered a breakthrough.  Thank you for your continued support – remember, Cablevision’s support of The Lustgarten Foundation ensures that 100% of every donation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research.

Meaningful Mondays

A high-quality diet reduces risk of pancreatic cancer

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 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."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/264913.php

Discovery of new molecular mechanism tied to pancreatic cancer

Main Category: Pancreatic Cancer
Article Date: 26 Aug 2013 - 1:00 PDT

New research led by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Baylor College of Medicine could aid efforts to diagnose and treat one of the most lethal and hard-to-treat types of cancer.

In the EMBO Molecular Medicine journal, the investigators report that they have identified a new molecular mechanism that contributes to the spread of malignant tumors in the pancreas. The hope is that drugs could one day be developed to block this pathway.

Most people with pancreatic cancer die within one to two years of diagnosis and it is expected to claim 38,460 lives in the United States in 2013. There are currently no effective tests for early detection and no effective therapies for the fast-spreading form.

The study focused on the previously established link between zinc and pancreatic cancer and sought to identify a molecular mechanism responsible for the elevated levels found in human and animal cells. Zinc is an essential trace element and small amounts are important for human health.

"We were the first to show that zinc transporter ZIP4 was a marker for pancreatic cancer," said Min Li, Ph.D., the study's senior author and associate professor and director of the Cancer Research Program in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at the UTHealth Medical School. "We knew there was a link but we didn't know what it was."

Li is on the faculty of The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, which is a joint venture of UTHealth and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Zinc levels are regulated by ZIP4, which acts as a master switch, and the researchers designed experiments to determine what happens when the switch is flipped on, Li said.

In an animal model of pancreatic cancer, the scientists observed how the initiation of ZIP4 triggered the activation of two downstream genes, which in turn accounts for the increased tumor growth. Scientists describe this as a signaling cascade.

"Pancreatic cancer is among the worst of all cancers. It is imperative to define the mechanism of this deadly disease. We have recently demonstrated a novel biological role for the zinc transporter ZIP4 in pancreatic cancer; however, the molecular pathway controlling this phenomenon remains elusive. This study provides a comprehensive mechanism for ZIP4-mediated pancreatic cancer growth involving the activation of a transcription factor CREB and an oncogenic miR-373, and reduction in key tumor suppressor genes," said Yuqing Zhang, Ph.D., co-first author of the study.

Jingxuan Yang, Ph.D., co-first author and research scientist at the UTHealth Medical School, said, "Our findings in this study define a novel signaling axis promoting pancreatic cancer growth, providing potential mechanistic insights on how a zinc transporter functions in cancer cells and may have broader implications as abnormal zinc concentration in the cells plays an important role in many other diseases."


"The results we reported in this study may help the design of future therapeutic strategies targeting the zinc transporter and microRNA pathways to treat pancreatic cancer," said Xiaobo Cui, M.D., Ph.D., study co-first author and postdoctoral research fellow at the UTHealth Medical School.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/265195.php

Fighting Pancreatic Cancer Cells

According to two new University of Illinois studies, Celery, artichokes, and herbs, especially Mexican oregano, all contain apigenin and luteolin, flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells by inhibiting an important enzyme. 

According to Elvira de Mejia, a U of I professor of food chemistry and food toxicology, “Apigenin alone induced cell death in two aggressive human pancreatic cancer cell lines. But we received the best results when we pre-treated cancer cells with apigenin for 24 hours, then applied the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine for 36 hours.” Pancreatic cancer patients would probably not be able to eat enough flavonoid-rich foods to raise blood plasma levels of the flavonoid to an effective level. But scientists could design drugs that would achieve those concentrations, de Mejia said.

Read more here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/264940.php

Finding Hope

There's no place like hope: a guide to beating cancer in mind-sized bites

Recommended by one our Denver families ... Presenting a survival guide for cancer patients and their families, Girard herself is a cancer survivor and has become one of the nation's most outspoken advocates on patient rights and improving care. According to Girard, "Cancer is a beatable, treatable, survivable disease".

Who Inspired You?

Finding Resources

Sometimes you just need to dive in and read about the journey ahead ... here is a list of books available on Amazon related to pancreatic cancer ... 

Pancreatic Cancer: A Patient and His Doctor Balance Hope and Truth (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book) by Michael J. Lippe and Dung T. Le (May 2, 2011)

Johns Hopkins Patients' Guide to Pancreatic Cancer (Johns Hopkins Medicine) by Nita Ahuja and JoAnn Coleman (Dec 22, 2010)

Pancreatic Cancer: It's a Family Affair by Lisa M Strahs-Lorenc (Aug 16, 2010)

The Ride Of My Life: A Fight To Survive Pancreatic Cancer by Bob Brown (Nov 23, 2011)

100 Questions & Answers About Pancreatic Cancer, Second Edition by Eileen O'Reilly and Joanne Frankel Kelvin (Sep 22, 2009)

Pancreatic Cancer by John P. Neoptolemos, Raul A. Urrutia, James Abbruzzese and Markus W. Büchler (Jan 22, 2010)

Defeat Cancer: 15 Doctors of Integrative & Naturopathic Medicine Tell You How by Connie Strasheim, 13 Cancer Doctors, Richard Linchitz MD and Robert Rowen MD (May 6, 2011)

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What to Eat if You Have Cancer (revised): Healing Foods that Boost Your Immune System by Maureen Keane and Daniella Chace (Oct 4, 2006)

Pancreatic Cancer (M.D. Anderson Solid Tumor Oncology Series) by Andrew M. Lowy, Steven D. Leach and Philip Philip (Aug 25, 2008)

Surviving: How We Loved Through Pancreatic Cancer by K. Blake Cash (Aug 10, 2011)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow (Apr 8, 2008)

Pancreatic Cancer : A Simple Guide to Pancreatic cancer (Simple Solutions Presents) by Hope Foster(Dec 9, 2011)