7 Days In May is a cycling event and fundraiser that was founded in 2012 to increase awareness about pancreas cancer and to raise funds to help find a cure for this deadly affliction.
The statistics are staggering: 93% of those diagnosed will die within 5 years. 75% of patients will die within the first year following diagnosis. Pancreas cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer related death in Canada and, sadly, it is on track to move to the second leading cause in the next 5 years. Survival rates have not improved in the last 40 years.
Great strides have been made, thankfully, in addressing other forms of cancer – breast, colon and prostate cancer, for example. The survival rates for these forms have cancers have improved dramatically in the past 10 years, for which we are all very thankful.
In sponsoring and participating in this event, we believe that through increased awareness and heightened focus in the research and medical communities, similar improvements can be made for pancreas cancer. It is time to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by pancreas cancer.
About Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreas Cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Canada and most people who develop pancreas cancer do so without any predisposing risk factors.
Because the pancreas lies deep in the belly in front of the spine, pancreas cancer often grows silently for months before it is discovered. Early symptoms can be absent or quite subtle.
More easily identifiable symptoms develop once the tumor grows large enough to press on other nearby structures such as nerves (which causes pain), the intestines (which affects appetite and causes nausea along with weight loss), or the bile ducts (which causes jaundice or a yellowing of the skin and can cause loss of appetite and itching).
Unfortunately, most pancreas cancer tumors are found after the cancer has grown beyond the pancreas or has metastasized to other places. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated 4,800 new cases of pancreas cancer will be diagnosed in 2016.
Despite the dire statistics, some significant progress has been made in the past few years. 7 Days In May is about awareness and finding a cure, but it is also about hope. Process Fusion will continue to support their cause.
