FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Julie Fleshman
PanCAN President & CEO
Phone: 310-321-6185
Email: press@pancan.org

Company Contacts:
Al James
Director of Marketing & Communications
Phone: 310-725-0025
Email: ajames@pancan.org

PANCREATIC CANCER - FRONT AND CENTER DURING NOVEMBER  

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s (PanCAN) Life Bulb Campaign Will “Shed Light on Pancreatic Cancer”

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. U.S.A. (November 1, 2005) – Today marks the beginning of National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month – a time to educate the public about pancreatic cancer, a little-known disease, which kills one person every 17 minutes in the U.S. Pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, has a 99 percent mortality rate – the highest fatality rate of all cancers; yet it receives the least amount of federal funding of any cancer for research to find effective treatments.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), the nation’s first and leading non-profit patient advocacy organization dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer announced the launch of the Life Bulb campaign today, to “shed light on pancreatic cancer”. Pancreatic cancer will affect the lives of more than 32,000 Americans this year, but few Americans are aware of this deadly disease.

The official declaration of November as National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in conjunction with the Life Bulb campaign will educate the public about pancreatic cancer, and raise awareness about the need for more funding for research.

“Keeping hope alive for those living with or touched by pancreatic cancer is our goal,” said Julie Fleshman, President and CEO of PanCAN. “I lost my father to pancreatic cancer in a matter of months, and decided to get involved with PanCAN to help ensure others facing this terrible disease have more treatment options and a fighting chance.”

About the Life Bulb Campaign

The Life Bulb campaign is designed to bring national attention to pancreatic cancer during November and to radiate hope for everyone touched by the disease throughout the year. The focal point of the campaign is a Life Bulb kit, which contains a battery-powered candlestick with a purple light bulb and three iris bulbs for planting. Together, the glowing purple candle in the fall and the blooming flowers in the spring demonstrate a year-round commitment to renewing the focus on pancreatic cancer.

“PanCAN embraces the urgent need for more research, effective treatments, prevention programs and early detection methods for pancreatic cancer,” said Fleshman. “We developed the Life Bulb campaign to bring more awareness to this deadly disease, and to bring hope to those suffering from it.”

To learn how to get involved in the Life Bulb campaign and support the pancreatic cancer community visit www.lifebulb.org, to purchase your Life Bulb kit, find inspirational patient stories and plant a virtual memorial iris garden in honor of, or in memory of a loved one.

Pancreatic Cancer Facts for 2005

• In America, one in three women, and one in two men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
• Approximately 32,180 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year in the United States and 31,800 people will die.
• Pancreatic cancer has the number one fatality rate of all cancers.
• Pancreatic cancer is the number four cancer killer in the United States among both men and women.
• The ninety-nine percent mortality rate for pancreatic cancer is the highest of any cancer
• Pancreatic cancer does not discriminate by age, gender or race and only four percent of patients will survive beyond five years.
• The average life expectancy after diagnosis with advanced disease is just three to six months.
• An estimated 52.7 million dollars was spent on pancreatic cancer research in 2004 of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) cancer research budget. This is just a mere one percent of the NCI’s $4.824 billion cancer research budget for 2004.
• Despite the especially lethal nature of pancreatic cancer, the research spending per pancreatic cancer patient is only $1,145, the lowest of any leading cancer.
• No effective early detection methods for pancreatic cancer have been developed, there are minimal treatment options available, and very little research is under way due to limited research funding.

About PanCAN

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Inc. (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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