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.

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Pancreatic cancer remains underfunded !

ABOUT US

Cancer Patient Alliance’s mission is to improve health outcomes for cancer patients through cancer education, addressing health disparities, and enabling cancer patients and their families to become active participants in their medical care.

Cancer Patient Alliance was founded in 2001 in Monterey County, California by physicians and community members alarmed at the lack of sufficient, reliable information to enable cancer patients to be partners in their medical care. Cancer Patient Alliance experience is in initiating innovative, community approaches that build on creating collaborations with organizations and health providers and engaging the community to address diversity in cancer care.

Pancreatic cancer is the least funded cancer in terms of research. Despite causing enormous mortality, pancreatic cancer receives (on a mortality basis) much less funding for research than most of the other major cancers. Currently, there is no molecular marker or genetic screening tool to aid in the earlier diagnosis or screening of pancreatic cancer. The treatment results would improve significantly if this cancer could be diagnosed at an earlier stage. Pancreatic cancer will cause more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. this year OR more than 1% of all U.S. mortality. It also causes twice this number of deaths annually in Europe. Despite the huge toll, people often do not understand the full magnitude of this disease.

Pancreatic cancer receives much less funding for research than most of the other major cancers.

Cancer Patients Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization led by a Medical Director and a five-member scientific board of highly regarded specialists in oncology from around the world.

The mission of the Foundation is to promote awareness, increase education, and further pancreatic cancer research. Specifically, the programs supported by the Foundation are aimed at:

Promoting education
Community awareness
Advocacy
Providing the most current medical research results for patients, physicians and researchers

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.

More About Pancreatica.org

Pancreatica.org is dedicated to confronting pancreatic cancer and creating optimal treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer patients and their loved ones. Pancreatica.org is a top-rated internet resource containing unique educational resources for patients, their caregivers, physicians and researchers, including a Medical Literature section that displays an impressive concentration of scientific articles. 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 provide 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.

We trust that Pancreatica.org can provide the kind of information that is necessary to begin the search for personalized optimal treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer.

Initiatives

Salinas Valley Alliance for Cancer
SVAC is an initiative involving alliance with the members of the local Monterey County community to better insure adequate cancer treatment and care for Latinos, farm workers, immigrants, and generally the underserved. This includes help with medical access, help toward resources that provide for treatment expenses, help with finishing initial treatment, help with overcoming logistics (transportation, child care, etc.), help with obstacles (language, cultural, etc.), and help with follow-up after initial treatment.

Pancreatica.org
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.

ToFightCancer.com
The Pancreatica Walks and Runs initiative is our fundraising program where participants pledge to raise money by walking or running in one of our suggested nationwide events, or any event of choice. This is a wonderful opportunity to help in the fight against pancreatic cancer while doing something remarkable, contributing to a good cause, being an example for others to be inspired to action.

NETumor.net
Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (islet cell tumors) are much less common than tumors arising from the exocrine pancreas. Reports often indicate that there are about two to three thousand cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year – although autopsy indicates that there may be a higher incidence of these islet cell tumors than are diagnosed.

CancerPACT.org
The aim of the Cancer Patients Alliance for Clinical Trials (CancerPACT.org) initiative of Cancer Patients Alliance is to increase Latino and other minority participation (including farm workers and indigenous peoples) in adult cancer clinical trials, and to increase access and improve cancer care for them, including screening and prevention. Under the rubric of the ad hoc Salinas Valley Bridge for Cancer Prevention (SVBridge) and the Salinas Valley Alliance for Cancer (SVAC) as convened by our organization and including a number of local stakeholders and key safety-net providers including the Stanford Cancer Center, we target for support the medically underserved with cancer in the Salinas Valley area of Monterey County, California. Local hospital and health providers provide cancer trial participation, and give access to data that permit us to assess the effectiveness of our efforts.

CancerPACTS.org
The aim of Cancer Patients Alliance for Clinical Trials & Survivorship (CancerPACTS.org) initiative is to serve as a training tool and ongoing support initiative for those navigators who work with us in supporting Latinos and the medically underserved with cancer. This primarily includes working with Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in select cities in the west and southwest areas of the United States. Currently, we are concentrating these efforts in Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Salinas, California; Denver, Colorado; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacientes.org
Inicialmente centrada únicamente en los pacientes con cáncer y sus familias, en los últimos años la CPA ha ampliado su misión para enfocarse en las disparidades en salud y en los desafíos que enfrentan los pacientes latinos de bajos ingresos; cuestiones que inciden en el cáncer, pero que también trascienden este ámbito. Con este enfoque integral, continuamos ayudando a los pacientes con cáncer de poblaciones desatendidas a acceder a atención médica vital, educación y apoyo.

Patients Alliance.org
Initially focused solely on cancer patients and their families, CPA has broadened our mission in recent years to focus on health disparities and challenges of low-income Latino patients that impact, and extend beyond, cancer. With this comprehensive approach, we continue to help underserved cancer patients access life-saving care, education and support.

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