As many of you are aware Cheryl and I have been active with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for a number of  years.  Thanks to your generous donations, we have been the top fundraising team in the Silicon Valley affilaite four of the past six years and ranked 2nd during the past two years.  

There is more hope and optimism now then at any time. The positive results of research for treatments and early detection have been paying off.   Just during the past year the 5 year survival rate has risen from 12% to 13%.  That is over an 8% increase in just one year.   By comparison the 5 year survival rate in 2003 was only 5%.     

PanCan funds millions of dollars into research but also provides a Patient Services Dept. which refers patients to the best treatment options for their particular diagnosis and may also direct them to clinical trials that may be available. 

There are more than 64,000 new diagnoses every year but did you know:

• If detected early enough a tumor on the pancreas, less than 1 centimeter in diameter is 100% curable.
• PanCan is one of only twenty-two recognized charities that has earned a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator 19 years in a row from a field of 9,000 charities.
• PanCan is the only organization to receive FDA approval for "Precision Promise" which was created to target individual tumors.   During the past year PanCan has partnered with Global Coalition for Adaptive Research which will incorporate  Precision Promise providing the opportunity to accelerate the results of existing and future research initiatives.
• PanCan through its Patient Services Department speaks directly to more patients and their families than any other organization in the world.  They provide valuable information as to treatment options, clinical trials available, referrals to specialists, and many other related services.

  We invite you to make a generous contribution this year in achieving this goal to wipe out Pancreatic cancer in our lifetime..... not just for ourselves but more importantly for our children and grandchildren.  

Sincerely,

Cheryl and Steve Kole