I have recently had an unwanted awareness of pancreatic cancer. My wife's father was recently diagnosed after he was asked to have an anomoly on an x-ray for an unrelated condition examined. Why is it that the research into the 4th greatest casue of cancer deaths has been neglected for so long? It seems that for over 50 years, the mortality rate has remained unchanged. Why is it that there are early diagnosis testing fro brest, bowel and prostate canger, but not for pancreatic cancer. I had a chat to the people at the Garvan, which supports one of the very small number of research institutions dedicated to pancreatic cancer research. I get the impression that they struggle for funding over the other types of cancer that provide more "good news" stories about diagnosis and cures. Well, that's not good enough! I've started a fundraising campaign locally where peope can make donations to the Garvan directly in return for seeing me vandalise my face with a purple moustache for the month of November. I've approached over 350 business and personal contacts for support and am seeking some media coverage to further spread the word. I want to raise around $40,000 for the month of November for Pancreatic Cancer research. Please encourage your friends, relatives, colleagues, etc to donate directly to the Garvan for pancreatic cancer research. Money that goes to other bodies is divided up and allocated where a board or handfull of directros see fit.
