The Pancreatic Cancer Network Action Network (PCNAN) is urging the nation to shift from pink in October to purple this November in support of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
Thanks to years of research and advocacy in the breast cancer community, breast cancer patients have better treatment options, screening tools, and opportunities for early detection which have resulted in a decline in death rates.
“Our nation must rally behind pancreatic cancer patients in the same ways we have for breast cancer patients,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, president and CEO of PCNAN. “To improve outcomes and see death rates decline in pancreatic cancer, we must educate more people about the disease.”
One tangible action that people can take during the awareness month is learning the symptoms and risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Symptoms may include:
- Pain (usually in the abdomen or back)
- Weight loss
- Itching with jaundice (yellowing of the skin and/or eyes)
- Loss of appetite
- Change in stool
- Pancreatitis and recent-onset diabetes
Additionally, you may have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer if you have two or more first-degree relatives who have had pancreatic cancer, a first-degree relative who developed pancreatic cancer before the age of 50, or an inherited genetic syndrome associated with pancreatic cancer.
Take action this month! Read about the disease, tell others about it and wear purple! By doing these things, you are helping to change the future of this disease. Learn more about pancreatic cancer and how to support the cause this month at pancan.org/wagehope.
Thank you for making a difference and helping reach the goal of doubling the pancreatic cancer 5 year survival rate from 8% to 16% by 2020!