Pancreatic cancer is the most virulent of all of the major cancers. The duration from diagnosis to demise in advanced pancreatic cancer (the most common form at diagnosis) is 5 to 6 months with good treatment.   It is also the least funded in terms of research. Pancreatic cancer receives (on a per mortality basis): 10% of the funding of breast cancer (but causes 78% of the mortality), 35% of the funding of prostate cancer (but causes more mortality) and 29% of the funding of colorectal cancer (but causes 55% of the mortality).   Pancreatic cancer will cause more than 30,000 deaths in the U.S. this year (and another 60,000 in Europe) - about 250 deaths (U.S + Europe) per day OR more than 1% of all mortality.   Cancer is the second most common cause of mortality (behind cardiovascular heart disease). And pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death (behind lung, colorectal and breast, respectively). It is the third most common cause of cancer death in men and the fifth in women. It is more commonly found in African-Americans; it is associated with smoking and with diets rich in saturated fats.   Apart from education, advocacy and awareness, the principle aim of the Drive For The Marker sm initiative is fostering the discovery of a molecular and/or genetic marker to aid in the earlier diagnosis and screening of pancreatic cancer (such as now exists, for example, with prostate cancer).   Earlier diagnosis would give access to potential curative surgery for a much greater number of people. Such surgery is currently considered the most likely modality to offer a cure to an individual patient, but due to the aggressiveness and stealth of the tumor it is now applicable to only about 15% of patients by the time of diagnosis.   Please join us in this important cause.
		info@DriveForTheMarker.org
		©2003-08 Lorenzen Cancer Foundation - All Rights Reserved www.driverforthemarker.org