Waging Hope Together

If you've been hanging around here for very long, you'll know that we are Big Supporters of  The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.  There are many great organizations out there... we have just been drawn to PanCan's mission statement over and over again.

They are passionate and dedicated about fighting this monstrous cancer and hit it on all fronts...

- Research
- Clinical Initiatives
- Patient Services
- Advocacy

Their ambitious goal is to double pancreatic cancer survival rates by the year 2020... Funds will be used to:

- develop early detection tools and better treatment options
- push for more federal funding for pancreatic cancer research
- increase funding for patient services, such as the Know Your Tumor program and options to join clinical trials targeted to match patients needs.
- focus attention on pancreatic cancer and help patients and their families Wage Hope and rewrite the future of pancreatic cancer survival.

And PanCan fund raises with a ferocious urgency to push forward the research that will take us to that cure.

The cure is so close!

Each year the PanCan Research Fund awards grants to scientists in an effort to advance the field and pursue breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer treatment.

This year's Grant Recipients for the PanCan Research Fund are:

Please join us in welcoming this year’s new grantees and sharing this announcement:

2018 Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Grant
Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Functional Genetic Discovery of Novel Targets in Pancreatic Cancer

2018 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant
Darren Carpizo, MD, PhD, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Co-PI: Patrick Mehlen, PhD, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
Investigating Netrin-1 as a New Therapeutic Target in Pancreatic Cancer

2018 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Grant
Iok In Christine Chio, PhD
Columbia University Medical Center
Targeting Redox Status and mRNA translation in Pancreatic Cancer

2018 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant
Michael Curran, PhD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Pro-Inflammatory Conversion of the PDAC Microenvironment

2018 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant
Sharon Gorski, PhD, British Columbia Cancer Agency Branch (BC Cancer)
Co-PI: Robert Young, PhD, MC, FRSC, Simon Fraser University
ATG4 Family Members as Therapeutic Targets for Pancreatic Cancer

2018 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant
Scott Lowe, PhD
Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research
Targeting p53 Mutations in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

2018 Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award
Karen Mann, PhD
Moffitt Cancer Center
RBFOX2-Mediated Alternative Splicing in Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis

2018 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant
George Miller, MD
Co-PI: Shohei Koide, PhD
Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone
Central Role of TIM4 in Driving Immune Tolerance in Pancreatic Carcinoma

2018 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant
Kenneth Shroyer, MD, PhD
Stony Brook University
Keratin 17 Is a Novel Actionable Target in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Promoting the next level of treatments... Pushing towards the cure, a bit closer every day!

We call this SUCCESS of the best kind.  Thank you PanCan for all you do on our behalf.

And that is Good News for today,

Always,
        Jane

Honoring a Memory...

I had another post ready to go today... and then...

this arrived in our email... A reminder that pancreatic cancer is still taking too many precious lives from our midst:

Hi Jane

Today is a rough day for me... as today marks one year since my life was turned upside down.  

One year ago on October 19th, 2017... my wife, best friend, and soulmate was taken away from this world by pancreatic cancer.

And that's why I tell everyone, hold your loved ones tight and never forget to tell them how much you love them.

Life can change in an instant... we just never know.

Her passing was one of the most difficult times of my life.. but it was also illuminating as well.

As soon as The Sacred Plant community heard about her passing, support poured in from all over the globe.

I received phone calls, emails, hand-written letters and cards, books, teddy bears, Christmas ornaments, gifts and messages of love...

I simply couldn't believe how much love and true compassion came from this community...

I couldn't have made it through this without you.  And I still appreciate your help, calls, messages, and letters - they keep me going.

And, it's a reminder of why we do what we do.  We are all in this together and I thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart.

Corinne and I started on this mission when her father, Stan was sent to hospice care after being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and METS to the brain.

We started researching alternative therapies as a way to make his final days less painful... but instead discovered the life-saving ability of medical cannabis.

Since then, I have seen over and over how the sacred plant can and does save the lives of people all around the world.

Sadly, even with the many successes of medical cannabis... it is not a "cure-all."

Even in her final days, Corinne was a true believer of the healing powers of medical cannabis.

For the last year since her passing, I've continued the advocacy that Corinne and I started.

In fact, I am now even more committed to helping make this plant accessible to everyone with safe access laws that also allow researchers to do the must needed clinical trials.

In loving honor of my beautiful wife, Corinne and her passionate advocacy, we've created a tribute page to honor her life and all she's done for this movement and mission...

We'll be airing her expert interview she recorded for our Season 1 docuseries, The Sacred Plant: Healing Secrets Exposed.

I love, appreciate and cherish you and everyone in our community.

From the bottom of my heart,

John and Corinne Malanca

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Our hearts and prayers are continually lifted for the families and loved ones in the fight against this ruthless disease.   John's tribute to Corinne speaks to the heart of this fight... it is the never-ending Story of Love that holds us together when all around us falls apart.

We stand, together to battle for Health, and Healing and Wholeness... and until we arrive at the place of a cure, we honor the Warriors with everything we have!

In Grace, Always,
                         Jane

The Hope we are Hungry for...

The American Cancer Society has just released their 2018 statistics for pancreatic cancer...

It isn't good news.

In the coming year, it is expected that 55,440 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Over 44,000 of these will die of pancreatic cancer... this year...

These are horrific statistics.  They represent men and women, individuals who we know, they are us, families that are facing the terrible nightmare of a disease that is brutal and ruthless...without regard to the children and spouses and loved ones who must attend the suffering that smothers hope.

When mom and I started this website and blog 7 years ago, it was expected that only 37,000 would be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

It's physically nauseating to know that today, even more people will be facing this devastating diagnosis.

The only small shred of hope is that the 5 year survival rate has gone up from 5% to 9%... and that is truly a small, very small, bit of hope.

So, where is the progress??  It is incredibly hard to hang on to hope... the current status quo for pancreatic cancer is simply unacceptable.  Our hearts cry out for Mercy

This seems to be the theme of our work here.  Our frustration rolls out regularly... in post after post...

Now It's Getting Personal

The Real Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

The Top 3

Let's Be Honest

The Cyclone of Fear

And so, if you are hungry for Hope {like me!}... this might be the story you need to see today...

It's called Precision Promise and it's being launched at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

From their website:

"Precision Promise is the first adaptive clinical trial platform for pancreatic cancer patients in the world and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's groundbreaking initiative to dramatically improve patient outcomes and advance the organization's goal to double survival by 2020.

Designed with a nationwide team of leading clinicians, researchers and diagnostic and drug developers, Precision Promise will continuously and rapidly bring new treatment options to patients and transform the future of clinical research."

The Precision Promise initiative is becoming reality due to the generous funding gift from the Skip Viragh family.  This gift supports an adaptive clinical trial platform that will hopefully change the way we treat pancreatic cancer... and it is my continuing prayer that these new treatment options will ultimately give us the Cure we so desperately need.

In 2018, Precision Promise will open in 12 cities... these Clinical Trial Consortium sites will offer pancreatic cancer patients the opportunity to enroll in multiple trials that will evaluate new treatments alongside standard approaches, rapidly and efficiently assessing effectiveness. 

A unique aspect of Precision Promise is that, in one clinical trial setting, a patient has the opportunity for a second treatment when and if the first treatment is no longer working.  This has never been done before in a clinical trial setting.  This empathetic understanding is crucial for the pancreatic cancer patient.

It is a springboard to Hope.

It is the Never Give Up attitude that makes a huge difference.

If you or a loved one is facing the daunting decisions that a pancreatic cancer diagnosis brings, then perhaps Precision Promise will be a place to begin... a small light in the dark and a Hand that reaches out to offer Hope...

Prayers for Grace this night,

My Love and a Hug

(because you are never alone),

Always,

     Jane