Free Pancreatic Cancer Symposium Scheduled for June 17, 2006

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Despite its ranking as the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., federal research funding on pancreatic cancer topped out last year at $66 million, or 1 percent of the National Cancer Institute's $4.825 billion budget. A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can be especially grim and frightening to patients and their loved ones, as the odds of recovery or remission are very low. The one-year mortality rate is a staggering 99 percent and the five-year survival rate is just four percent. Due to the lack of early diagnostic tools that could enable doctors to catch and treat the cancer before it spreads, and because of the limited number of treatment options available, more than 32,000 Americans died from pancreatic cancer in 2005. An additional 33,730 patients will be diagnosed in 2006.

The unprecedented number of participants registered for this first New York Symposium has surpassed that of any of PanCAN's eight previous symposia, and reflects the increasingly critical need of the pancreatic cancer community for information on treatment options, clinical trials, and quality of life concerns.

WHO: The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), has partnered with the Lustgarten Foundation, the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, CancerCare and the RC Hayes Memorial Foundation to present a complimentary one-day symposium for pancreatic cancer patients and their caregivers, which will focus on quality of life issues, diet and nutritional concerns, genetic risk factors, and updates on chemotherapies and clinical trials. PanCAN, one of the nation's leading educational and clinical services resources on pancreatic cancer, is a constant presence on Capitol Hill as an advocate for the pancreatic cancer community, and has awarded more than $1.7 million in Career Development Grants in an effort to attract leading clinicians and scientists to the field of pancreatic cancer research.

WHEN: Saturday, June 17, 2006
8 a.m. -- 5 p.m.

WHERE: New York Marriott Financial Center
85 West Street
New York, New York 10006

SCHEDULE: Complimentary registration and attendance

The Pancreatic Cancer Symposium -- New York is made possible through the generosity and partnership of the title sponsor, Eli Lilly and Company, and gold sponsors, Genentech, Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals. The partners include: RC Hayes Memorial Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Care, Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, CancerCare and Lustgarten Foundation.

Source: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

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