May 28, 2024 - By Erin Post For a disease like pancreatic cancer, clinical trials are a critical treatment option. These research studies investigate new treatments or new combinations of treatments to determine if they are beneficial for people living with pancreatic cancer. PanCAN recommends clinical trials at diagnosis and during every treatment decision, as patients who participate in clinical research have better outcomes. A great first step to explore clinical trials? Contact PanCAN Patient Services. Our Case Managers can provide you with a list of options personalized to your needs. We ..read more

May 23, 2024 - By PanCAN Guest Contributor As a long-standing sponsor of PanCAN PurpleStride Orange County, Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s physicians, researchers, nurse navigators and entire care team wholeheartedly support PanCAN s mission to raise funds and awareness for research, advocacy, education and awareness of pancreatic cancer. As Orange County’s top choice for cancer care, Hoag Family Cancer Institute provides our patients comprehensive care, including screening programs, early detection and treatment and genetic testing. We also offer multidisciplinary care, innovative clinical t ..read more

May 16, 2024 - By PanCAN Guest Contributor Editor’s Note: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) is a Premier Sponsor for PanCAN PurpleStride 2024 Columbus. OSUCCC – James has supported PurpleStride for seven years. The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) is combining groundbreaking research with the latest technology to find innovative treatments for patients with cancer, including ..read more

May 14, 2024 - By Jennifer Kennedy Steven Merlin is a 12-year pancreatic cancer survivor who is doing well today in large part thanks to his treatment plan – which was ahead of its time. Steven was diagnosed with stage III locally advanced pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma – a very rare, highly aggressive form of pancreatic cancer – in 2012. He had surgery – not usual for someone with his disease stage. But the follow-up chemotherapy treatment, Gemzar®, had no impact, and the cancer spread. So, Steven switched to the chemotherapy FOLFIRINOX, which started shrinking his tumors. Meanwhile, he sa ..read more

May 7, 2024 - By Erin Post PanCAN’s new Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, Anna Berkenblit, MD, MMSc, has nearly 20 years of experience bringing new therapies to patients with cancer. She’s served in leadership roles in pharma and biotech companies where she led the clinical development of multiple cancer drugs, including most recently a therapy now approved by FDA for ovarian cancer. The motivation behind all this work? A deep empathy for people faced with cancer and their families. The patients she met early in her career at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and as a clinical oncologist at Be ..read more

May 1, 2024 - By Jennifer Kennedy Every treatment available today – from common medications like aspirin and cough syrup to all types of chemotherapy – was approved through a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies that investigate new therapies to determine if they are safe and beneficial. Since people with pancreatic cancer often have fewer treatment options compared to other diseases, clinical trials are the best way to access therapies that are new and possibly better than the standard of care. So, PanCAN strongly recommends clinical trials at diagnosis and during every treat ..read more

Apr 29, 2024 - By Julie VasquezLisa Niemi Swayze, Eric Idle, Miss America Madison Marsh, Family of the late Jerry Springer, Team “Trek”, Little House on the Prairie Cast, Rosario Dawson, Among the Notable Participants Who Raised Awareness, Critical Funds for One of the Toughest Cancers Select Celebrity Photos can be found HERE LOS ANGELES, Calif. (April 29, 2024) – This past Saturday, April 27, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) held its largest annual fundraiser, PanCAN PurpleStride®, the ultimate walk to end pancreatic cancer. For the third year in a row, PurpleStride took place ..read more

Apr 29, 2024 - By Carly Eskin PanCAN PurpleStride 2024 took place in nearly 60 communities across the country this past Saturday, April 27, and proved to be a vibrant celebration of solidarity and resilience and a powerful reminder of the work we must accomplish to end pancreatic cancer. More than 62,500 Striders participated, united to raise funds and awareness to support patients, families, caregivers, researchers and more who are affected by the disease. The energy was palpable at PanCAN’s biggest fundraising event of the year as people donned their purple attire, symbolizing hope and soli ..read more

Apr 22, 2024 - By Charaighn Sesock In honor of her distinguished contributions to the field of cancer biology, Lynn Matrisian, PhD, MBA, chief science officer at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) was recently named 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. This stands out as a notable lifetime achievement within the scientific community. “It’s a privilege to be named an AAAS Fellow for my work within the pancreatic cancer field and its translation to help improve patient outcomes,” said Matrisian. “With this esteemed honor, I join the ranks of some of ..read more

Apr 19, 2024 - By Paula Mukherjee Editor’s note: During Volunteer Appreciation Week 2024 (April 21 – 27), three members of PanCAN’s Volunteer Advisory Council, Janice Griffin, Joelle Hervis, and Tripp Razor, spoke with Community Engagement Senior Specialist Paula Mukherjee about serving as liaisons between PanCAN and the volunteer affiliate network. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Paula: How would you describe your role as a Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC) member?  Joelle: We connect the volunteers to PanCAN and vice versa. It’s a way for volunteers to get their f ..read more