In 2025, the five year life expectancy for someone who is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is 13%. That is an 87% mortality rate. This means that the vast majority of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year will die within five years.

In 2006, the five year survival rate was 8%. 

As most of you know, my beautiful mama, Susan O'Malley, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006, when I was 20 years old. The extraordinary human that she is, she and a team of intrepid and determined oncologists at Bethesda Naval embarked on a years-long journey through chemo, radiation, a 12-hour Whipple surgical procedure, and lots and lots of love to ultimately come out triumphant and "negative" in 2007. 

While we can celebrate now, this journey was not easy. Chemotherapy, especially for this very aggressive and unforgiving disease, is absolutely brutal. But honest to God, y'all, this woman is METAL. She got up, every day, and chose to fight, even when it was dark, even when it was hard, and even when she didn't want to. She got up for her husband. She got up for her kids, including her littlest, still in high school. She got up for her guard dog, Lucy. She got up for herself. 

The treatment that Susan received was developed through experimental testing made available through federal funding. She is alive today because in 2006, a few doctors took a risk and used a new surgical procedure to address her tumor. Her case was used throughout the pancreatic cancer treatment community as an example of success despite the odds. After she recovered, she gave back by being a PanCAN pancreatic cancer survivor phone pal and mentor to folks who just recently got their own devastating diagnosis. 

In 2009, Susan had a recurrence. This time, the cancer had metastasized to her lungs. However, due to treatment advances, her particular situation was treatable through just radiation and surgery and fortunately didn't require chemo. Again, clinical research, testing, and the scientific community made this treatment avenue possible. My mother is alive because of the scientific community, because of her robust support system, and because public funding made this research possible. 

Both my brother and I are at an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. However, due to funding limitations, we do not qualify for screening programs because we do not have the BRCA gene, despite also being at a 5% increased risk. This gap could be ameliorated through improved funding, which at the federal level is currently at risk. 

If you can't donate, I completely understand- things are difficult right now. But, if you could share this story, it would be much appreciated. Any funding, any advancement, any achievement is a win for all Americans. We cannot fight a disease with an 87% 5 year mortality rate without each other. Please support federal funding to study this debilitating disease. We can crowdsource privately, as we are now, but systemic, consistent funding is how we will extend lifetimes in a meaningful way.

Let's give our loved ones a fighting chance, when their current chance of 5 year survival is 13%. We CAN beat this, but we have to do it together. 

Please donate, so you and I can have our lovies for another 5 years.

Love you, 

Elizabeth