Mission Statement - Pancreatica.org

For over 25 years pancreatica.org has provided current, credible, and comprehensive information to those in need.
Cancer Patient’s Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

Cancer Patient’s Alliance is proud to have earned a Platinum rating on Guidestar. CLICK HERE

Pancreatic cancer remains underfunded !

OUR MISSION

Pancreatic cancer research, education and awareness are at the core of Pancreatica.

The purpose of this site is to serve as a worldwide gathering point on the Internet for the latest news and disinterested information in regard to clinical trials and other responsible medical care in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Additionally, our aim is to present impartial knowledge about pancreatic cancer where interested parties can sort through a large amount of information efficiently in order to give a sense of the range of existing treatment options, to aid patient/doctor partnerships, and thus to help optimize personal treatment strategies.

Receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is serious news. For some, conventional surgical and /or medical therapy is the best option. For many of those with more advanced disease, putting one’s affairs in order and seeking that medical attention which will help insure physical and emotional comfort, is the correct and most responsible decision. But for others who wish to fight, it is important to know that there are options. There have never been this many options. The odds, depending on the type and extent of the tumor, may not be great. But fighting these odds may increase survival and may even provide an increased sense of well-being. And some people find meaning in the fight itself. For example, enrolling in a clinical trial can possibly help personal survival, but it definitely will help other people.

These kinds of treatment decisions should not be taken lightly. They must be taken with the greatest of care. But options do exist. And to evaluate whether they make sense, information is needed—open, disinterested information. We trust that this site can provide the kind of information which is necessary to help begin the search for an optimal treatment strategy.

WHY THE NAME PANCREATICA

To learn the meaning of Pancreatica, let’s take a historical look at the language and medical terminology of the pancreas.

Although the largest pancreatic artery which supplies nutrient to the main pancreatic duct is now referred to as the great (or greater) pancreatic artery, this structure has historically been known as the arteria pancreatica magna. In discussing this artery, Henry Gray in his first English edition of ANATOMY — The Anatomic Basis of Medicine and Surgery (J.W. Parker and Son, London, 1858) reports, “One of these, larger than the rest, is given off from the splenic (artery) near the left extremity of the pancreas; it runs from left to right near the posterior surface of the gland, following the course of the pancreatic duct, and is called the pancreatica magna.” In the Latin language, pancreatica is the feminine for the English word: pancreatic. (And pancreatico is the masculine for the English word: pancreatic). Pancreatica has the same Latin meaning and gender-divisions in the modern day languages of Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. We appreciate the sound and metre of the word, and enjoy its resonance and symbolism. It is our hope that this website will act as a vessel for the delivery of accurate and timely information to those in need.

Early diagnosis is key: If patients are diagnosed in time for surgery, their chance of surviving 5 years or more increases ten-fold.

Science Board Members

James Abbruzzese, MD
Duke University

Markus Büchler, MD
University of Heidelberg, Germany

Ralph Hruban, MD
Johns Hopkins University

Eileen O’Reilly, MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Margaret Tempero, MD
University of California, San Francisco