The Vision of Progress:
Double the Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate by 2020


Jeff Ross, eight-year survivor and friend Julie Lopp, five-year survivor.

As the national leader in the fight against pancreatic cancer, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is well-positioned to achieve our bold new goal to double the pancreatic cancer survival rate by 2020.

Survival rates have remained in the single digits for 40 years. Look at pancreatic cancer survival rates and you'll see something deadly wrong. Today, the five year survival rate is just 6%.

We have a vision to change that—to double the survival rate by the year 2020. By accelerating the application of our proven comprehensive approach to fighting the disease—combining research, support for individuals and families living with the disease, raising awareness and building and sustaining federal support, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network will turn this vision of progress into reality. Everyone must know, fight and end pancreatic cancer!

Here's how to know it, fight it and end it:

Advance Research Discoveries. Medical advances will not happen through a scattershot approach. That's why we are building a comprehensive and coordinated pancreatic cancer research community to speed the acquisition of knowledge, share information and move scientific findings into practice. We continue to fund research grants that attract the most talented and promising scientists to the field. We will continue to keep scientists in the field by funding their innovative research projects and creating a collaborative network for them to share discoveries with other researchers. To read more about our Research Program, click here.

Support Patients and Families. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network was started by people who were caregivers for family members diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and facing this disease without hope. Today, we educate patients and family members so they can make informed medical decisions. We also encourage patients to consider clinical trials when exploring treatment options and we support patients by helping them locate trials for which they may be eligible. These efforts are critical to making progress against the disease today while we create the medical breakthroughs for tomorrow. We're increasing the capacity of our one-on-one patient support through our Patient and Liaison Services Program (PALS) program. Central to our efforts to double survival rates is intensifying our efforts to provide the latest and most accurate medical information, encouraging patients to enroll in clinical trials and directing patients to pancreatic cancer specialists. To read more about our Patient and Liaison Services program, click here.

Build and Sustain Federal Support. Great and rapid progress has been made against other deadly diseases when privately funded research has been merged with a dedicated federal research strategy. At present, the federal government has no comprehensive research strategy to combat pancreatic cancer and dedicates very little funding to pancreatic cancer research compared to other cancers and the deadly nature of this disease. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network advocates will continue to work with Members of Congress to introduce and pass the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act. This landmark legislation will direct the National Cancer Institute to develop and fund a long-term comprehensive research strategy for developing early diagnostics and better treatments to increase survival rates. In addition, we will continue to play a leading role in the Deadly Cancer Coalition, joining with the advocates of other overlooked deadly cancers to increase the attention given to the patients facing these diseases. To read more about our advocacy efforts, click here.

Mobilize the Troops. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a nationwide group of people dedicated to raising awareness about the disease and providing patients and their families with real hope. Our volunteers and advocates have raised millions of dollars to fund private research, to directly support patients through information and education and to advocate that the federal government provide more research and devote more attention to this deadly disease. We'll continue to grow our national network by giving people the tools they need to educate, organize and empower others to make dramatic advances against this deadly disease. To read more about our events and volunteer opportunities, click here.

Together, we can know, fight and end pancreatic cancer by doubling our efforts to raise awareness, raise funds for comprehensive private research and advocate for dedicated federal research to advance early diagnostics, better treatments and greater chances of survival. We need your help. Get involved today. To learn more, click here

"I fully support this goal. This belief was reinforced by the recent encounter I had with a 36-year old man who was sent to me for surgery, but left me only with [his] diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer. I spend way too much of my time helping people die gracefully instead of creating opportunities to live. Hence this is a long overdue and worthy goal."

Selwyn Vickers, MD, University of Minnesota
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Scientific Advisory Board Member