FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PANCAN’S MEDICAL VISIONARY AWARD PRESENTED TO DR. MARGARET TEMPERO AT CELEBRITY GALA FOR PANCREATIC CANCER

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. U.S.A. (Nov. 17, 2003) - The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) honored Dr. Margaret Tempero with its Medical Visionary Award at “An Evening with the Stars” celebrity gala in Beverly Hills on Nov. 8th for pancreatic cancer. The PanCAN Medical Visionary Award honors a prominent individual within the medical or scientific community whose outstanding professional achievements advance the cause of pancreatic cancer research. PanCAN is the first, national patient-based advocacy organization for the pancreatic cancer community, including patients, families, medical researchers and physicians.

“I feel that oncologists have a very special role to play with people who are faced with a life-threatening disease and lot of uncertainty,” said Dr. Margaret Tempero. “We can be their champion and their friend, and that’s a relationship I enjoy. My patients teach me how to cope with uncertainty about the future, how to draw on the strength of your own spirit and that of your friends and how to bear difficult things with a lot of dignity.”

Dr. Margaret Tempero is an accomplished clinical and translational scientist with 20 years experience in gastrointestinal oncology. Her research interests include gastrointestinal cancers, especially pancreatic cancer, and novel targeted therapies. She is considered to be a national opinion leader in GI oncology and oversaw the development of national guidelines for the management of pancreatic cancer for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr. Tempero is serving as the President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) this year. She also sits on PanCAN’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Margaret Tempero’s work, compassion and devotion inspire the hope and courage necessary to nourish and sustain creative and productive lives of pancreatic cancer patients, their loved ones, and the medical community which serves them.

About Pancreatic Cancer
Approximately 30,700 people in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year. Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. for men and women, and only 4 percent of patients survive beyond five years. The 99% mortality rate is the highest of any cancer. There is no cure or early detection methods and effective treatment options are extremely limited. Purple ribbons have become the symbol for the fight against pancreatic cancer.

About PanCAN
PanCAN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by surviving family members of individuals who died of pancreatic cancer. Chartered as a grassroots organization of advocacy for pancreatic cancer patients and their families, PanCAN currently has volunteers and members throughout the United States and around the world. PanCAN is the first, national public-benefit advocacy organization for the pancreatic cancer community. The organization works to focus national attention on the need to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, and provides public and professional education embracing the urgent need for more research, effective treatments, prevention programs and early detection methods. Visit www.pancan.org to obtain more information, e-mail info@pancan.org, or call 1-877-272-6226.

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Media Contacts:

Aaron Kiel
Public Relations Consultant for PanCAN
Phone: 562-983-8113
Email: akiel@akprgroup.com

Company Contacts:

Julie Fleshman
Executive Director, PanCAN
Phone: 310-725-0025
Email: jfleshman@pancan.org