Fight Pancreatic Cancer!

2nd Annual Karen Petty Memorial Double Century Bike Ride Against Pancreatic Cancer

Friends,

If you are on this website you have either supported me in the fight against pancreatic cancer, or have been involved with fighting pancreatic cancer in some way. I have become very involved with fighting pancreatic cancer since I lost my close friend Karen Petty to the disease just over a year ago. This fight has manifested itself in 2 ways. The first action I took was riding my bike 200 miles solo from West Warwick, RI to Thornton, NH last September. This ride was designed as a tribute to Karen's incredible life and as an event with shock power. In my mind if you show people you are willing to suffer for something then they pay attention. This disease needs our attention. Secondly I have become deeply involved with a national organization called the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network as the Rhode Island Affiliate Event Coordinator. Many of you met me or saw me at this years Purple Stride walk at Goddard Park. Between these 2 events I am proud to say I have helped raise close to $140,000 for the cause, most of that coming from fellow Rhode Islanders who have been touched by this disease. Here is a bit of background on why I started this fight against pancreatic cancer.
As a kid I spent most afternoons at Karen Petty's house with her son Jason Petty. I felt as if it were a second home – the kind of place where you just walk in – no knocking needed. I have always felt this way about Karen and her husband Joe, even as I have gotten older and life's responsibilities have lessened our time together. They have both always been the kind of people I can sit down with and talk to and feel totally comfortable....like one of the family. It is the kind of relationship you value above all others. Karen's passing has affected me in many ways, one of which was anger. I kept asking myself “why” in anger. The kind of anger that makes you shake your head and your fists and just ask the question “why” over and over. I've come to the conclusion that there really isn't any good reason why – not God or luck. It was because of an errant cell – a confused, malignant, and multiplying cell that caused the cancer that took my friend's life. Knowing Karen and her awesome attitude, I believe she would have found some positive in this and made something of it. I have decided that fighting Pancreatic Cancer is a very personal mission. I feel that there is no better way to honor Karen than to help kill the disease that she fought so valiantly against. I want to step on it, kick it, squash it.Unfortunately it isn't like taking on the school bully. I can't take it out in the schoolyard and try to whip it. The only thing I can do is to try to help the doctors and scientists who are most actively seeking a cure to pancreatic cancer. As some of you know I have been a bike rider for all of my teen and adult life. I have completed many charity rides and have always been willing to go out and tough it out for the money pledged to me by friends and family. I always knew it was a good thing to do but never had any deep conviction about why I was doing it. I have found my conviction. In honor of Karen and all who have fought, or are fighting pancreatic cancer, I have commited myself wholeheartedly to make an annual bike ride from Karen and Joe's house in West Warwick, Rhode Island to their cabin in Thornton, New Hampshire. Upwards of about 200 miles. This ride will be completed in 1 day. I have always thought that people who donate to me should get their fair share of sweat and suffering for their money. 200 miles delivers on that account. I also think it is important to suffer in honor of those your riding for – delivering the best performance you can muster. I will always do my best to honor Karen every second I am on the bike. Please help me make this ride a success and help squash Pancreatic Cancer out of existence.

Click Below To Donate!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/karenpettydoublecentury

Thank You,

Eric Costantino

Sign up here TODAY: 
http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=464980

Knowledge is Power. & Power and Knowledge help find cures!!

 Daily Fact about Pancreatic Cancer 

1. What is a Pancreas anyway???? A Pancreas is a gland located in your abdomen. There are 2 main cells in the pancreas. Exocrine cells produce enzymes that digest fats, carbohydrates & proteins in foods. Endocrine cells produce & secrete insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream (insulin lowers blood sugar levels, Glucagon raises blood sugar levels & together they maintain the proper level of sugar in your blood)

2. How does Pancreatic Cancer start? Cancer is the illness or condition that is caused when cells multiply uncontrollably forming a growth or tumor and destroying healthy tissue. Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas. Pancreatic cancer cells break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. That is how cancer cells metastasize, or spread from the original cancer (primary tumor) to form new tumors in other organs. Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis and usually has metastasized already by the time it is discovered. And poor prognosis is still common even when PC is diagnosed early. It typically spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death. Signs and symptoms may not appear until pancreatic cancer is quite advanced and surgical removal isn't possible.

3. Pancreatic Cancer is the most lethal cancer there is with an overall survival rate of only 6%. More than 43,000 Americans will be diagnosed this year. 36,000 will die.

4. Only 2% of the National Cancer Institutes approximate $5 billion cancer research budget for 2009 was spent on Pancreatic Cancer. 

5.  Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over nearly 40 years. 

6.  Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. 94% of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis – only 6% will survive more than five years. 75% of patients die within the first year of diagnosis.   

7.  When cancer spreads from its original place to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if cancer of the pancreas spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are pancreatic cancer cells. Therefore, the disease is metastatic pancreatic cancer, not liver cancer because it derives from the pancreas and has travelled from that primary site to the liver.  So to treat the liver, that cancer must be treated as pancreatic cancer, not liver cancer.  Unfortunately, most pancreatic cancer has already metastasized by the time it is discovered, which makes it much harder to treat and survive from.   Thus why early detection research for PC is desperately needed so that this cancer can be found in the primary source, the pancreas, and not after it is already attacking other body parts.  Early detection is key to survival.  Sadly, the average life expectancy after diagnosis with metastatic PC is just three to six months.



8.  On average, a person diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer has had the abnormal pancreatic cancer cells growing in their body for 21 years.  EARLY DETECTION = MORE  EFFECTIVE TREATMENT = SURVIVAL

9. Some risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer are family history of the disease, smoking, age, and diabetes. 

Here are some more details about these risk factors:

*Cigarette smoking - Cigarette smoke contains a large number of carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals.) Therefore, it is not surprising that cigarette smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer. According to some reports smokers have a 2-3 fold increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

*Age - The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. Over 80% of the cases develop between the ages of 60 and 80. 

*Race - Studies in the United States have shown that pancreatic cancer is more common in the African-American population than it is in the white population. Some of this increased risk may be due to socioeconomic factors and to cigarette smoking. 

*Gender - Cancer of the pancreas is more common in men than in women. This may be, in part, because men are more likely to smoke than women. 

*Religious Background - Pancreatic cancer is proportionally more common in Jews than the rest of the population. This may be because of a particular inherited mutation in the breast cancer gene (BRCA2) which runs in some Jewish families.

*Chronic pancreatitis - Long-term inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) has been linked to cancer of the pancreas.

*Diabetes - There have been a number of reports which suggest that diabetics have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

*Peptic ulcer surgery - Patients who have had a portion of their stomach removed (partial gastrectomy) appear to have an increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer.

*Diet - Diets high in meats, cholesterol, fried foods and nitrosamines may increase the risk, while diets high in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Karen - my motivation to keep fighting PC

10. Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer -Pancreatic cancer may cause only vague symptoms that could indicate many different conditions within the abdomen or gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms include pain (usually abdominal or back pain), weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), loss of appetite, nausea, changes in stool, and diabetes.

11. Treatments for Pancreatic Cancer - At present, pancreatic cancer is treated either surgically, through radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of these techniques.  Treatment options for PC are very limited. Surgical removal of the tumor is possible in only approximately 15% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Chemotherapy or chemotherapy together with radiation is typically offered to patients whose tumors cannot be removed surgically. Only three drugs are FDA‐approved for the treatment of pancreatic cancer: fluorouracil (5‐FU), gemcitabine (Gemzar®), and erlotinib (Tarceva®).  More research is needed to diagnose PC in the early stages of the disease.  Also, clearly more research is necessary in order to find more treatment options for PC so that diagnosed patients can have PC-specific treatment options that attack these forms of cancer cells effectively.

12. Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer- Surgery, which currently offers the greatest potential for prolonged survival, is generally only performed if the malignancy has not spread beyond the pancreas. In cases where tumors have been deemed resectable (capable of being surgically removed) the standard operation is the Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy. This procedure involves partial removal of the stomach, complete removal of the gallbladder, a bile duct, head of the pancreas, portions of the small intestine, and regional lymph nodes. In some instances, the entire pancreas must be removed. 

Due to concern that the standard Whipple was associated with excessive weight loss and nutritional problems, many surgeons use a modified version of the procedure in which the stomach is preserved. It's believed this approach minimizes nutritional problems and is often recommended for those patients with smaller, less extensive tumors. 
In some instances, tumors are surgically removed, even though the patient is considered non-curable. In these cases, the operation is designed to reduce discomfort associated with the disease.
When tumors aren't resectable, surgical intervention may still occur. This would include operating to relieve an intestinal blockage or to perform nerve blocks for pain.

13. Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death largely because there are no detection tools to diagnose the disease in its early stages when surgical removal of the tumor is still possible.
 The National Cancer Institute (NCI) spent an estimated $89.4 million on pancreatic cancer research in 2009. This may seem like a lot of money to most folks but this represented only 2%, yes that is 2% only, of the NCI’s approximate $5 billion cancer research budget for that year. 

Organizations like Pancreatic Cancer Action Network are working hard to push political legislation into legal acts/laws that will help direct more research money toward early detection tests, machines, tools...which can then help increase survival rates of PC. 

Remember, it lives in us for an average of 21 years before being diagnosed.  Just think how curable this cancer would be if it was found in year 1 or 2 rather than year 21.  I know I would like for it to be found in me earlier!

14.There are several types of pancreatic cancers, including the following:

*Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas - the most common pancreatic cancer, which occurs in the lining of the pancreatic duct.

*Cystadenocarcinoma - a rare pancreatic cancer.

*Acinar cell carcinoma - a rare pancreatic cancer.

15. Some neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas include the following - they may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous)

*Insulinoma - a rare pancreatic tumor that secretes insulin, the hormone that lowers glucose levels in the blood.

*Gastrinoma - a tumor that secretes above average levels of gastrin, a hormone that stimulates the stomach to secrete acids and enzymes. Gastrinoma can cause peptic ulcers.

*Glucagonoma - a tumor that secretes glucagon, a hormone that raises levels of glucose in the blood, often leading to a rash.

My cheering committee about 150 miles into my ride for my friend Karen.  Those cheers were sure appreciated.  What an honor to have riden for Karen and her family.  Great great day!

16.How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for pancreatic cancer may include the following:

• Ultrasound (Also called sonography.) - a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the internal organs. Ultrasounds are used to view internal organs of the abdomen such as the liver, pancreas, spleen, and kidneys and to assess blood flow through various vessels. The ultrasound may be performed using an external or internal device:
• Transabdominal Ultrasound - the physician places an ultrasound device on the abdomen to create the image of the pancreas
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) - the physician inserts an endoscope, a small, flexible tube with an ultrasound device at the tip, through the mouth and the stomach and into the smal intestine.  As it is withdrawn, images of the pancreas ans other organs are made.
• Computed tomography scan (CT or CAT scan) - a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays. (Addition 5/2/11 from a comment shared by a blog reader that I thought was important for others to know..."for CAT scans...they MUST be done w/ CONTRAST or the cancer will not show up...I mention b/c 4 doctors viewed my mother's CAT scan that was done w/out contrast and declared her cancer free...she died 2 months, 29 days later. Only RI hospital thought to run a new CAT scan WITH CONTRAST... And bingo, there it was, a tumor almost as large as the pancreas itself. The ignorance to this disease by the medical field is disturbing. 5/1/11 from Diane")

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) - a procedure that allows the physician to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. The procedure combines x-ray and the use of an endoscope - a long, flexible, lighted tube. The scope is guided through the patient's mouth and throat, then through the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. The physician can examine the inside of these organs and detect any abnormalities. A tube is then passed through the scope, and a dye is injected which will allow the internal organs to appear on an x-ray.
• Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) - a needle is introduced through the skin and into the liver where the dye (contrast) is deposited and the bile duct structures can be viewed by x-ray.
• Pancreas biopsy - a procedure in which a sample of pancreatic tissue is removed (with a needle or during surgery) for examination under a microscope.
• Special blood tests
• Positron emission tomography (PET) - a type of nuclear medicine procedure. This means that a tiny amount of a radioactive substance, called a radionuclide (radiopharmaceutical or radioactive tracer), is used during the procedure to assist in the examination of the tissue under study. Specifically, PET studies evaluate the metabolism of a particular organ or tissue, so that information about the physiology (functionality) of the organ or tissue is evaluated, as well as its biochemical properties. Thus, PET may detect biochemical changes in an organ or tissue that can identify the onset of a disease process before anatomical changes related to the disease can be seen with other imaging processes such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The start of my PC ride for my friend Karen - had to leave at 3am to get up to NH in daylight

17. BREAKING News  from Pancreatic Cancer Action Network! Novartis drug approved to treat pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Please send this link to your friends and family.

http://www.pancan.org/section_research/scientific_strategy/topi

c_novartis_drug_approved.php

http://www.pancan.org/section_research/scientific_strategy/topic_novartis_drug_approved.php

18. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network PSA

19.  Pancreatic Cancer Action Network PSA with Dr. Randy Pausch

20. Patients with a rare type of pancreatic cancer have a new option. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug Afinitor for the treatment of neuroendocrine cancer in the pancreas that has spread or can’t be surgically removed. 

Afinitor (everolimus) was already approved as an option for kidney cancer patients when other treatments have failed, and it also exists as Zortress, under which it’s used to reduce the risk of organ rejection after a kidney transplant. Now, the Novartis drug has shown promise in treating progressive neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas, also known as islet cell tumors. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs was diagnosed with this type of cancer in 2003.


21.  Know it, Fight it, End it!!!!    The more we share, the more educated others become about this deadly cancer 

Lisa Niemi Swayze talks about her husband  Patrick