Pancreatic Cancer Test by 15-Year-Old Wins $75,000 Science Prize

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by Tony22

How come they have enough funding to treat other cancers and not this one? I don't get it at all.

They do. Pancreatic cancer gets a lot more funding than, say, lung cancer (which is the biggest killer of ALL cancers - and not all people who get it smoked), my own cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and young adult cancers in general (which has not seen any increase in survival rates in the past 20 years, despite every other age group seeing significant gains). I have a cancer that kills people when they are between 18 and 30 years old after an average of 3 years fighting. Tons of money is going into pancreatic cancer because so many people get it and it could be profitable, but it will be years until significant breakthroughs are not only made but are also able to be distributed to patients.

Meanwhile, because my cancer effects less than 10000 people a year, there is very little research into it. There's not enough money there to make research profitable.

The fact of the matter is, there isn't enough money going around for research for any disease. The squeaky wheel gets the grease - and in this case, that's breast cancer. And in reality, cancer in general gets a LOT more funding and patient support than any other illness. My 28 year old boyfriend has advanced glaucoma - there are NO clinical trials or research projects for young adults with this devastating disease.

[hiknapster]

It doesn't have anything to do with squeaky wheels, it has to do with money. If more people are afflicted with something, the more money that will be made if a cure is found.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

They do. Pancreatic cancer gets a lot more funding than, say, lung cancer (which is the biggest killer of ALL cancers - and not all people who get it smoked), my own cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and young adult cancers in general (which has not seen any increase in survival rates in the past 20 years, despite every other age group seeing significant gains). I have a cancer that kills people when they are between 18 and 30 years old after an average of 3 years fighting. Tons of money is going into pancreatic cancer because so many people get it and it could be profitable, but it will be years until significant breakthroughs are not only made but are also able to be distributed to patients.

Meanwhile, because my cancer effects less than 10000 people a year, there is very little research into it. There's not enough money there to make research profitable.

The fact of the matter is, there isn't enough money going around for research for any disease. The squeaky wheel gets the grease - and in this case, that's breast cancer. And in reality, cancer in general gets a LOT more funding and patient support than any other illness. My 28 year old boyfriend has advanced glaucoma - there are NO clinical trials or research projects for young adults with this devastating disease.

very good posts with very true statements. I think we all have to realize, there is just so much money to go around. I am not complaining, I realize we can just do so much. As for Pancreatic cancer, I think it is getting so much attention because it normally can not or is not detected in time to save lives. It is more like Ovarian cancer was until about 10 years ago, often a death sentence. We have had many frined die from it and none who have survived more than about a year.

Nita

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Tony22

I don't get why there isn't enough funding. It isn't fair at all.

Tony, right now you would do anything to see this type of cancer researched and controlled, but there are so many kinds of cancer and only so much money. Most of us have no clue how much money is needed for research into deseases. The worst part of Panceatic cancer, as you know, it isn't diagnosed soon enough, thus it is almost always fatal, but there are many other cancers that also need financing to research causes, cures and treatments. There is money being used for research into Pancreatic cancer, but as already mentioned there are many more kinds of cancer that affect many more people. We hear about Pancreatic because the survival rates are so low.

Nita

[SD4020]

I checked about a month ago there were at least six different organizations and leading organizations actively researching pancreatic cancer.