Pancreatic cancer. Being the Endoscopy division of Cook Medical, pancreatic cancer is something that we are very familiar with. We know the ins and outs of symptoms, treatment options, and up- and-coming technology. But recently, we were reminded that what matters most about pancreatic cancer are the people that suffer from it.
Last week, we had an event at our offices around the globe for pancreatic cancer awareness month. Many of our employees wore purple in support of the event, and at our Winston-Salem office more than 200 people filled out cards to display stating why they chose to participate. Many of these cards were in honor or memory of someone they knew who has been affected by this terrible disease.
My dad. My sister. DeeDee. The Moore Family. While we all know, in the backs of our minds, that we are working every day to combat diseases that affect real people, seeing the names listed out on the cards was a very real reminder for all of us. The people affected by pancreatic cancer are our families, our friends, our neighbors and sometimes even our own employees.
It’s the same for you. If you’re reading this, it’s almost guaranteed that you know someone who has been affected by pancreatic cancer. It’s this thought that keeps us driving forward.
We hope that this month results in a higher awareness of pancreatic cancer and how to combat it. Bringing attention to this deadly and often hard-to-diagnose disease is critical since, according to a worldwide survey, sixty percent of people know “almost nothing” about pancreatic cancer¹.
For more information, visit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at https://www.pancan.org/.
Help us raise awareness about pancreatic cancer by sharing our infographic.
¹2017 World Pancreatic Cancer Day. A day of action, a world of difference.
www.worldpancreaticcancerday.org/about. Accessed November 9, 2017.