The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) Launches International Affiliate In Japan

Main Category: Pancreatic Cancer
Article Date: 26 Sep 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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President and CEO Julie Fleshman of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) announced today that the El Segundo, California-based non-profit has signed its first international affiliate agreement to establish PanCAN Japan, an autonomous extension of PanCAN which will duplicate PanCAN's highly regarded patient and professional education services, clinical trial database collection and grassroots advocacy efforts. The Japanese affiliate will have bases in Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagoya and will be spearheaded by Yoshiyuki (Yoshi) Majima.

"In the United States, PanCAN has steadily increased public awareness about pancreatic cancer so that it is no longer "the silent disease," says Fleshman. "Since PanCAN was first founded in 1999, PanCAN volunteers and constituents have helped to bring about significant changes in the way the medical and political communities in America respond to our needs and demands. The same thing can and must happen in Japan and around the world so that a cure can be found."

When Majima, whose sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, and Fleshman first met to discuss the state of cancer research and care resources in Japan, both were inspired by the hope that a U.S.-Japanese scientific and educational collaboration could help change the care outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients and further accelerate the search for a cure.

In Japan, each man and every woman has a 50:50 chance of developing cancer in their lifetime, compared to an American's one in three odds. Pancreatic cancer, currently ranked as the fifth leading cause of cancer death for men in Japan (ranked sixth for women), will claim more than 22,000 Japanese lives this year, or more than 10% of all cancer deaths. And just as in the U.S., thousands of concerned Japanese patients and family members earnestly seek information about the disease and its treatments, and where to go to get help. But unlike the U.S., until very recently there was nowhere for them to turn for patient information and clinical guidance, no leading resource for help and hope. When Majima went to the world-wide web to search for information, he found PanCAN.

"By building a grassroots movement in Japan under the auspices of a non-profit organization like PanCAN, significant policy changes will take effect across the board regarding pancreatic cancer care and research," said Majima. "Though the death rates for cancer appear to be on the decline in North America and Western Europe, in Japan the situation is vastly different, and some experts project that in just ten years, the number of cancer deaths in Japan will be 1.5 times greater than today's."

"We are very excited about the new opportunities this affiliation brings to the global pancreatic cancer community, especially for the increased level of research communication and collaboration we anticipate will take place among the world's pancreatic cancer researchers. And by translating PanCAN's educational materials into Japanese and making them readily available throughout Japan, it should be a great help in assisting patients to more knowledgably communicate with their healthcare providers about their diagnosis, treatment and other care options," concluded Fleshman.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is a national 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization which serves the pancreatic cancer community. PanCAN funds research awards, educates federal policy makers and raises awareness in the general public about the disease. PanCAN's Patient and Liaison Services (PALS) is available free of charge to pancreatic cancer patients, their families, and healthcare professionals. PanCAN is headquartered at 2141 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 7000, El Segundo, California 90245, and can be reached toll-free at 877-272-6226 or on the web at http://www.pancan.org.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
http://www.pancan.org

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