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Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month: Let’s Work Together to Diagnose Cancer Faster

purple-cellvizio-pancreatic-cancer-awareness-nov2014
Photo Credit: @ElementalHCare

Pancreatic cancer is often found late and spreads quickly. This makes it difficult to treat – it’s predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States by 2030.i  The American Cancer Society estimates about 46,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the US in 2014.ii

Cancerous pancreatic cysts are hard to catch because they often don’t cause any early symptoms, but improvements in imaging technology are helping physicians find these cysts more frequently. We believe not knowing the nature of a pancreatic cyst may soon become a thing of the past. And improved awareness and better funding will only help physicians diagnose cancer faster.

This November, Mauna Kea Technologies is joining tens of thousands of people around the world in recognizing Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and the first ever World Pancreatic Cancer Day on November 13th.

International non-profit organizations including the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in the US and Pancreatic Cancer Action in the UK are coming together to raise awareness, improve research funding, and provide support for individuals and families living with the disease.

Purple Selfie Image
Photo Credit: @ElementalHCare

Here are a few ways you can get involved and show your support this month:

  • Wear purple!

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has organized “Purple for a Purpose” for World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Celebrities, media influencers, on-air talent and other supporters will wear purple to raise awareness.

  • Use social media!

Pancreatic Cancer Action is asking individuals to take and share a #purplepselfie on social media.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network invites you to join the “Wage Hope” campaign this month by visiting www.facebook.com/jointhefight and following @PanCAN on Twitter. Actions include changing Facebook profiles and cover photos and sharing and retweeting content.

i Rahib, Lola. “Projecting Cancer Incidence and Deaths to 2030: The Unexpected Burden of Thyroid, Liver, and Pancreas Cancers in the United States.” Cancer Research. Published online May 19, 2014. http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2014/03/25/0008-5472.CAN-14-0155.full.pdf+html.

ii American Cancer Society. “What are the key statistics about pancreatic cancer?” June 11, 2014. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/detailedguide/pancreatic-cancer-key-statistics.

Is There a Link Between Pancreatic Cancer and Good Oral Health?

Study about oral hygiene and pancreatic cancer
According to a recent study by researchers at Brown University, Forsyth Institute and HarvardUniversity, the health of your mouth could potentially be linked with pancreatic cancer.
The study proved that the oral bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis is linked with nearly doubling the risk of getting pancreatic cysts and pancreatic cancer. The study included using the health history of more than 405 people with pancreatic cancer and 416 people without pancreatic cancer. Blood samples were drawn from each person and researchers measured the antibodies from 25 different kinds of bacteria.
Research showed a strong link between increased amounts of antibodies against Porphyromonas gingivalis and pancreatic cancer, leading them to believe that cancer was not causing the high antibody levels. The high amount of antibodies against Porphyromonas gingivalis were present for years before the patient developed pancreatic cancer, showing a direct link between poor oral health and pancreatic cancer.
In addition to finding the link between high amounts of antibodies against Porphyromonas gingivalis and pancreatic cancer, researchers also found that there was a 45 percent reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer if participants had high antibody levels against harmful oral bacteria.
Oral Health Tips
1. Brush your teeth twice a day
2. Practice good technique – Hold your toothbrush at an angle so the toothbrush is pointed towards the area where your tooth meets your gum.
3. Don’t skimp on flossing – Make sure you use at least 18 inches of floss and take it one tooth at a time when flossing.

1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, BrownUniversity, Box G-S121-2, Providence, RI02912, USA and2.
2 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, ImperialCollege, LondonW2 1PG, UK