ECPC JOINS MORE THAN 40 GLOBAL PANCREATIC CANCER ORGANIZATIONS AT INAUGURAL MEETING
World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition Aims to Raise Unprecedented Awareness
for a Disease with the Lowest Survival Rate of Any Major Cancer
Brussels, Belgium— (May 09, 2016) The first-ever World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition(WPCC) will gather for its inaugural meeting in Orlando, Florida, on May 11, 2016, bringing together more than 60 individuals representing 40 pancreatic cancer advocacy groups from around the globe. The Coalition’s goal is to drive transformational change for those affected by pancreatic cancer.
“By standing in unison, we hope to save more lives and create a brighter future for the disease with the lowest survival rate of any major cancer,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, chair of the WPCC and president and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
Around the world, pancreatic cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer-related death in men and women combined.1 Only 2 to 10 percent of those diagnosed globally survive five years.2
Three years ago, in 2013, pancreatic cancer patient advocacy organizations from around the world, with founding sponsor Celgene Corporation, began discussions about how best to support each other’s efforts while raising global awareness for the deadly disease.
“We realized that by working collaboratively, we could have a much greater impact than the sum of our parts,” said Prof. Francesco de Lorenzo, president of ECPC. “We swiftly moved to action in 2014 with the launch of the inaugural World Pancreatic Cancer Day, which has gone on to be a successful global awareness-raising initiative.”
The World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition will oversee the annual World Pancreatic Cancer Day, which was first held in Nov. 2014 and is observed and celebrated from the United States to Europe and from Asia to Australia.
November has long been recognized as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. This year, World Pancreatic Cancer Day will be held on Nov. 17.
The one-day event aims to raise awareness about the disease, but also to spread the word that with more research funding and more people taking action, pancreatic cancer survival rates can, and will, improve.
The World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition has the generous support of corporate sponsors Celgene Corporation, Baxalta Incorporated and Halozyme Therapeutics.
For additional information on pancreatic cancer, the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition and its members, please visit:
www.worldpancreaticcancercoalition.org
Follow the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition on Facebook andTwitter.
About the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition
The World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition is an international group of pancreatic cancer patient advocacy groups with a mission to drive transformational change for all those affected by the disease. Through global collaboration, the Coalition raises awareness of pancreatic cancer by strengthening the efforts of participating member organizations. And each November, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Coalition members unite on World Pancreatic Cancer Day to draw attention to pancreatic cancer and highlight the need for greater awareness, funding and research.
Cara Martinez
Senior Manager, Public Relations
World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition (WPCC)
Direct: 310-706-3357 Email: cmartinez@pancan.org
Sources:
- Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, Ervik M, Dikshit R, Eser S, Mathers C, Rebelo M, Parkin DM, Forman D, Bray, F.GLOBOCAN 2012 v1.0, Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC CancerBase No. 11 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2013. Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr, accessed 03/14/16.
- American Cancer Society. Global Cancer Facts & Figures 2nd Edition. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2011.