Each year, November is designated as “Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” in the United States. During November, West Virginians will be commemorating the month in honor and memory of all those affected by pancreatic cancer.
Volunteers will be hosting West Virginia’s sixth annual PurpleLight Vigil of Hope on Sunday, November 6 at the Barbour County Court House Gazebo on Main Street in Philippi. Registration will begin at 4:30 pm and the ceremony will begin at 5 bpm. Attendees will have the opportunity to honor a loved one by purchasing a luminary as well as take pictures with the purple photo props as well as view a slide show with pictures of all those who have had pancreatic cancer. There will also be special music during the event.
Thursday, November 17 has been designated as “World Pancreatic Cancer Day,” which calls attention to the urgent need for research funding for early detection tools and effective treatment options for patients. Volunteers will be attending city council and county commission meetings receiving proclamations for World Pancreatic Cancer Day all around the state. Everyone is invited to wear purple on November 17 in honor of this important cause.
Annette Fetty-Santilli, Community Advocate for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, says, “We would like to have as many people participate in the November events as possible. If you are interested in getting a proclamation in your community, or honoring a loved one at PurpleLight or on our Facebook page, please contact me.” She lost her brother to pancreatic cancer when he was only 38 years old, after being diagnosed just 18 months earlier.
This year, pancreatic cancer surpassed breast cancer to become the third-leading cause of cancer related death in the United States. It currently has a five-year survival rate of just 8 percent and is anticipated to become the second around the year 2020.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has a longstanding history of working to address this disease in a comprehensive way and set an aggressive goal to double survival by 2020. There must also be an increase in funding for pancreatic cancer research and more patients must enroll in clinical trials. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is actively pursuing these goals on a federal level by advocating for increased resources for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.
“We cannot have success in diseases like pancreatic cancer without an increase in funding support from the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health,” added Ms. Fetty-Santilli. “While we advocate for increased funding for cancer research every day, it is particularly important to shine a light on this issue on World Pancreatic Cancer Day.”
To learn more about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and local efforts, please visit the local Facebook page: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network – West Virginia and contact Ms. Fetty-Santilli at 304-621-3648 or asantilli@pancanvolunteer.org .
