By David Thornton, photographer
It is important people have awareness about viruses and diseases beside just COVID-19, even when it is not currently being talked about.
November is Pancreatic cancer awareness month. The purple ribbon is the color that represents the awareness.
Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all major cancers. Recognizing the symptoms and understanding who is at risk can lead to early detection, which means better patient outcomes.
Pancreatic cancer is now the third leading cause of cancer death in America. It is estimated that more than 53,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and more than 41,000 – the equivalent of a small city – will die of it.
The exact causes of pancreatic cancer are not yet well understood. Research studies have identified certain risk factors that may increase the likelihood that an individual will develop pancreatic cancer.
Additional factors that may increase risk include being over 60 years old; being male; consuming a diet high in red or processed meats; and obesity.
Smoking is a significant risk factor and may cause about 20-30 percent of all exocrine pancreatic cancer cases.
People who smoke cigarettes are two times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than people who have never smoked.
If a person’s mother, father, sibling, or child had pancreatic cancer, then that person’s risk for developing the disease increases two to three times.
Here are some familiar names of celebrities that had pancreatic cancer: Alex Trebek the host of Jeopardy; Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple; singer Arethra Franklin, and actor John Hurts.