SPRINGFIELD, IL— Legislation sponsored by State Senator William Delgado (D-Chicago) will designate November 2009 as Pancreatic Awareness Month throughout the State of Illinois. 

“It is important that we make people more aware of the effects of pancreatic cancer,” said Senator Delgado, Chairman of the Illinois Senate Public Health Committee. “According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the deadliest cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.”

Senate Resolution 433, an initiative of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and is intended to educate people about the causes and treatments of pancreatic cancer.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the first and only national patient advocacy organization that serves the pancreatic cancer community in Illinois and nationwide.  The network primarily focuses its efforts on public policy, research funding, patient services, public awareness and education related to developing effective treatments and a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is so deadly because when symptoms present themselves, it is usually too late for an optimistic prognosis and there is no cure.  In addition, there have been no significant improvements in early detection, treatment methods, or survival rates in the last 30 years.

“It is important to make the public more aware of this type of cancer because the federal government invests less money in pancreatic cancer research than it does in any of the other leading cancer killers,” Senator Delgado said.

The legislation has passed the Senate and the House of Representatives and now goes to the Governor for his consideration.