I bet even those living on the moon have heard about Steve Jobs’ passing due to pancreatic cancer. Like many, I feel very impacted by his death. Like many who have lost loved one’s to that terrible disease, I have mixed emotions. I am very sorry for his passing, for the loss to his family and to the world. I am feeling grateful that Jobs’ death has people thinking and talking about pancreatic cancer for a change, and in the midst of Pink October, of all months! But I also resent that it takes such a big name death to get people talking about pancreatic cancer.
I’ve been reflecting on some of the similarities and some of the differences between my father’s experience with pancreatic cancer and what I know of Steve Jobs’ pancreatic cancer experience. Like Jobs’, my father was to have a Whipple procedure. Unlike Jobs’, upon opening my father up and discovering that his cancer had spread from his pancreas to his liver, they sewed him back up, canceling his Whipple procedure. Dad died from pancreatic cancer 8 months later.
Next month, I will undergo a Whipple and I have already been informed that upon opening me up, and before proceeding with the Whipple, the surgeon will first confirm that there is no cancer in my other nearby organs. (For the record, I’m not currently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but I do have a pancreatic cyst and a BRCA2 mutation, which increases my chances of developing pancreatic cancer, especially when one of parents died from pancreatic cancer.) Prior to preforming the Whipple, they will do laproscopic incisions to inspect organs surrounding my pancreas to insure they are healthy before continuing with the operation. Steve Jobs’ reportedly got his Whipple and later went on to have a liver transplant. It’s unclear when the cancer had spread from his pancreas to his liver.
I’m not alone in wondering whether Steve Jobs donated any of his incomprehensible wealth to pancreatic cancer research. He must have learned that pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cancer killer and the least funded among the top five cancer killers (lung, colon, breast, pancreatic, prostate). Maybe his doctors were careful not to scare him with startling ACS statistics such as 75 percent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within the first year of diagnosis, or the Pancreatic Cancer Network’s projection that the number of deaths from pancreatic cancer will grow by 55 percent between 2010 and 2030.
I’ve heard that the I-Phone 5 release is being postponed and Apple is instead releasing the I-Phone 4S, which is speculated to be named for Steve. If a meaningful portion of the proceeds from sales of that I-Phone 4S goes to pancreatic cancer research, I just might buy you and all your friends one.
Susan Beausang, 4Women.com
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Hi Rosa,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment.
I wasn't actually referring to the degree to which individuals are aware of every type of disease or suffering that can afflict humans. I was instead lamenting the lack of media attention to and research funding for a cancer that has a far higher mortality rate and a far poorer diagnosis rate than breast cancer. I have also lamented (in my blogs) the lack of attention to the likes of childhood cancer, the leading cause of death by disease among American children, and which gets a pittance of attention or funding compared to breast cancer.
And I assure you, this is not a case of my cancer is more important than your's or his or her's. I do come from 3 generations of breast cancer survivors and I am a BRCA2 carrier. Despite that, everytime a celebrity propels a cancer into the limelight, I tend to reflect on the power of the media to determine society's priorities.
Thanks for reading!
October 12, 2011 - 10:21amSusan
This Comment
Hi Susan,
I'm sorry about the loss of your father. It is unfortunate that it takes a big name to get people thinking about Pancreatic Cancer-- but in a way, it's a blessing in disguise. We, as humans, can't know or be involved in everything or every cause as much as we want to--whether it be due to limited funds for donations or because we simply have taken on enough on our plate with other charities. But as devastating as Steve Jobs' death was, the awareness that this bring to Pancreatic Cancer will, hopefully, help save the lives of millions of other people, like you and me.
Thanks so much for this share!
And P.S. I've already ordered my iPhone 4s :-)
Best Wishes,
Rosa
October 12, 2011 - 7:33amThis Comment