November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month- Help Fight Back!

Let me ask you a few questions. What is the pancreas? Where is it in your body? What does it do? Did you know that pancreatic cancer not only exists, but is also one of the deadliest cancers there is? When my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer my freshman year of high school, I certainly didn’t know the answers to any of these questions. Most of the general public doesn’t. The truth is, pancreatic cancer is one of those diseases that flies under the radar. It’s not a popular cause to support. It’s not talked about, frankly because there are very few survivors left to talk about it. Yet for the people who have lost a loved one to this disease or the people who are still fighting, awareness is vital.

I learned about the importance of this awareness through my volunteer work with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. When my dad was first diagnosed, I knew I had to do something, anything, to help him in his fight. I stumbled across pancan.org and I knew I had found my calling. I started a team for the local Purplestride, and in the last four years have raised over $19,000. My dad and I joined the Milwaukee affiliate to help plan events like Purplestride and Purplelight, and to help promote awareness. To this day, I am still involved in the local affiliate. My dad and I also both helped plan Purple Passion and Fashion, with my dad even modeling in the show! I have organized a “wear purple” day in my high school two years in a row, sold bracelets, made ribbon pins and prayer cards for a local hospital, given advice to family members on a pancreatic cancer facebook group, and started pancreatic cancer awareness week through Colleges Against Cancer at Marquette. These are just some of the many ways I have tried to fight back, in honor and memory of my dad. In doing many of those things, I knew it would not be enough to save his life. He lost his battle less than a year after diagnosis, a typical amount of time for someone with pancreatic cancer. Not a single day goes by that I don’t miss him. But through my pancan involvement I gave my dad hope, for however short a time. And I vow to keep fighting for all those who are facing, and will face, this terrible disease.

This is where I ask for your help. We all know the country is painted pink in October for breast cancer awareness. That is great! By no means am I saying that support of breast cancer patients is not extremely valuable. However, there is no cancer that needs awareness more than pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has a survival rate of just 6%. Its symptoms are vague, making it difficult to diagnose. It has no approved means of early detection, and very few treatment options. It is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the US, and is expected to replace breast cancer in the 2nd spot by the year 2020. Yet it receives very little funding, and the incidence rates are continually rising. This year almost 40,000 Americans will die of the disease.

Can you imagine facing those odds? Yet most people have never heard of pancreatic cancer. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. At the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network we are working hard on many new initiatives to raise awareness and support. The easiest to participate in is World Pancreatic Cancer Day/ Purple for a Purpose. Helping out is simple: on November 13th, wear purple! Tell your family and friends to do the same. When they ask you why, share a few of the facts I shared with you. If we can turn our schools, our offices, and our communities purple it will create a powerful image of solidarity, and will go a long way in raising awareness.

November is our chance to change the tide. A chance to get pancreatic cancer the recognition it deserves so that we can properly support patients and work toward a cure. Together we can “Know it. Fight it. End it.”

Thank you,

Sarah Gorczany

PS, if you or a loved one is facing pancreatic cancer, you are not alone. Please do not hesitate to contact pancan.org. They have a great PALS program for guidance and support. There are also many other outlets you can try, like the pancreatic cancer facebook group. Or if you simply reply to this article, I do not mind sharing my own experiences with you. Stay strong and fight on!