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Iowans talk with congressional delegation about pancreatic cancer research funding

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More than a dozen Iowans whose lives have been changed by pancreatic cancer — striking themselves or a loved one — are in Washington D.C. today, lobbying members of Iowa’s congressional delegation.

Melinda Thach of Ames, a volunteer for the Des Moines affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, says 80% of cancer research dollars comes from the federal government. “We’ve come a long way in support for pancreatic cancer and the information that’s out there, the data that’s being gathered, the tests that are being done, developing new drugs and new ways to treat pancreatic cancer,” Thach says. “Ideally, we’ll eventually find a good early detection method but all of that takes research funding.”

Thach, who lost her mother to the disease, says research funding for pancreatic cancer has risen in recent years, but it’s dwarfed by the amount of money funneled to certain other cancers. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest forms, as 70% of those who are diagnosed die within a year.

“Pancreatic cancer’s survival rate right now is 9%,” Thach says. “Most people who are diagnosed, it is diagnosed after it has spread and their life expectancy is very brief. My mom, it was only 13 days. Most people, it’s like three-and-a-half months. If people make it past a year, they’ve got a good chance of making it to five years but you just never know.” While colon and lung cancer remain the top cancer killers, pancreatic cancer is a rising threat.

“Right now, it is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death,” Thach says. “Based on the current trends of pancreatic cancer continuing to rise and lung cancer continuing to fall, it’s looking like it will become the second-deadliest cancer by 2020.” More people now die from pancreatic cancer than breast cancer. While pancreatic cancer research got 152-million federal dollars in 2016, breast cancer research got 516-million.

The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is 9% versus 91% for breast cancer. An estimated 580 Iowans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and 430 of them will die from it.

 

Iowa Cancer Consortium meeting in Ames to discuss 5-year plan

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Doctors, nurses, researchers and survivors are gathering in Ames today for a regional meeting of the Iowa Cancer Consortium.

Levi Lappin, a coalition spokesman, says one focus of the conference is to discuss the newly-released Iowa Cancer Plan, a health blueprint for the next five years.

“It essentially guides comprehensive cancer control work in the state,” Lappin says, “and by comprehensive, I mean across the continuum, from prevention like nutrition and physical activity through screening, treatment and quality of life, for survivors or palliative care, hospice.” Lappin says the consortium is a partnership of more than 400 health care providers, public health professionals, caregivers, researchers, cancer survivors and others who work together to reduce the burden of cancer in Iowa.

One priority of the meeting is to provide what’s being described as “health equity.” Lappin says, “As demographics change in the country and specifically in Iowa, there’s a need to help other groups, people of color, LGBTQ folks, to be the healthiest that they can be.” With Iowa being a rural state, he says access to health care can be a burden on many families and individuals.

Representatives from Iowa Safe Routes to School will be making a presentation at today’s meeting in Ames. “That would be more nutrition and physical activity, the prevention side of things,” Lappin says, “getting these kids walking to school, biking to school, giving them safe routes to school — that way they can do that — which then sows the seeds of a healthy lifestyle at a young age.”

The consortium is hosting three meetings across the state this spring. The first was in Council Bluffs earlier this month and the last will be next Tuesday in Dubuque.

 

Basketball games double as a fundraiser for ailing Kirkwood coach

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A college basketball coach in Cedar Rapids is undergoing treatment for brain cancer and games played last night served as a fundraiser for his family.

Kirkwood assistant men’s basketball coach Ben Jacobson was in a car accident in October and during examinations at the hospital, doctors discovered Jacobson had an inoperable cancerous tumor in his brain.

Head coach Bryan Petersen talked about Jacobson’s reaction to the diagnosis with KCRG-TV. “He was very positive about it, his energy about his fight, his determination to beat it with the toughness he brings everyday to our program was pretty inspirational,” Petersen said. During the women’s and men’s games against North Iowa Area Community College Wednesday night, Kirkwood staff and students sold baked

Ben Jacobson and his family.

goods, t-shirts and other items with all of the proceeds going to the Jacobson family.

“I think, more than anything, I hope this day just uplifts his spirits and his family’s spirits,” Petersen told KCRG. Before the games, the NIACC basketball teams presented a check to the Jacobson family. They raised nearly $2,000 from a skills camp.

A Go Fund Me page for the Jacobsons recently topped the $10,000 mark. Ben Jacobson and his wife, Natalie, have two children.

(Thanks to KCRG TV)

 

 

 

Wear purple Thursday to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer

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Iowans are being encouraged to “wear purple with a purpose” Thursday in order to raise awareness about what’s considered the world’s toughest form of cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in Iowa and in the U.S. Melinda Thach, a volunteer for the Des Moines Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, says she strives to teach more people about the disease and how to spot it.

“People need to be aware of their bodies and pay attention to the symptoms that are sometimes really vague,” Thach says. “It can be a tummy ache in the front, it can be a back ache, it can be changes in stool, it can be things that can be attributed to lots of other things, but if somebody is having all of those together, please call their doctor.”

Other symptoms may include: yellowing skin, weight loss, appetite loss, and a feeling of being full after only eating a little food. Pancreatic cancer is typically seen as a death sentence as 70% of those who are diagnosed die within a year. Still, Thach says improved awareness may be helping to improve the odds.

“The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer rose this year to 9%,” Thach says. “That is amazing that it is rising after being steady for a long, long time, but it’s still the only major cancer in the single digits and we need to do something to improve that.”

The five-year survival rate has increased by one-percentage point in each of the last three years. Thach, who lives in Ames, got involved as a volunteer after losing her mother to pancreatic cancer 13 days after she was diagnosed. Thursday is World Pancreatic Cancer Day and purple is the designated color for awareness of the disease.

“We have people all across Iowa who are doing things to raise awareness and wearing purple is just one of them,” Thach says. “We have a girl at the Carlisle Middle School who lost her father to pancreatic cancer. She’s organizing a Wear Purple Day and is having a photo booth with purple props so people can have some fun with it, too.” An estimated 580 Iowans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and 430 of them will die from it.

Iowa hotels honored for providing rooms to cancer patients

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There are 50 hotels across Iowa taking part in a program that provides complimentary lodging for cancer patients who are forced to travel far away from their homes to receive treatment.

Kelly Angell, oversees the program for the Iowa chapter of the American Cancer Society. “These hotels have taken such great care of our cancer patients, not only to provide them with that complimentary lodging, but to really be that home-away-from-home when they’re going through one of the scariest things of their life,” Angell said. “In 2016, we were able to help 80 patients across the state of Iowa traveling for their cancer treatment. They were helped with about 413 nights of complimentary lodging. We saved a lot of people a lot of money so they could use that for their medical bills, for family, and just for daily life.”

An event scheduled for this afternoon (4:30pm) in Des Moines will honor the 19 hotels in Iowa’s capital city that are involved in the ACS Hotel Partners Program. The Des Moines area hotels account for roughly 90-percent of the lodging provided through the program in Iowa.

“That’s partially thanks to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge being in Iowa City,” Angell explained. “We provide free lodging for patients undergoing active treatment there, but in Des Moines, we don’t really have a resource like that. So, these 19 partners in the Greater Des Moines area – they are the help patients rely on.”

Nationwide, there are more than 1,600 hotel partners providing cancer patients with lodging.

 

American Cancer Society advocates lobby Congress for more funds

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Activists from all 50 states are in Washington D.C. this week to lobby members of Congress to pump more money into cancer research.

Among Iowa’s representatives, Angela Sylling, of Johnston, is a volunteer advocate for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. Sylling is calling for Congress to increase funding for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health to $36 billion.

“Cancer is a disease that kills 600,000 Americans every year or one person every minute of the day,” Sylling says. “It’s an important priority and we really need to see support from Congress on funding the fight against cancer.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are being asked to work together to stabilize the health insurance market so cancer patients and survivors can access the quality health care coverage they need.

Sylling says they’re also calling for support of the Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act which will greatly improve the quality of life for cancer patients, as well as support of the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act.

“We know a lot of the cancer decisions happen, not in the hospital room or in daily life, but in the halls of Congress,” Sylling says. “We encourage people to join us in the movement and use the opportunity to make your voices heard. Contact your state representative.” Like most of us, Sylling says she’s lost several friends and relatives to cancer while her mother, in Iowa, is currently fighting stage-four cancer.

“It is near and dear to my heart,” Sylling says. “As a caregiver, it gives me some semblance of control of the situation and helping by making my voice heard and impacting lawmakers with some of the decisions we’re asking them about.” It’s predicted 17,200 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, while 6,500 will die from it.

 

New scan can detect lung cancer earlier

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Lung cancer remains Iowa’s top cancer killer, but there’s a new type of lung cancer screening for people considered high-risk.

The low-dose CT scan can detect lung cancer in the early stages, before symptoms arise. Harold Wimmer, national president and CEO of the American Lung Association, calls the scan groundbreaking and a potential lifesaver.

Wimmer says, “The high-risk category profile is individuals who are current smokers or former smokers that have a 30-pack year history of smoking and are between the ages of 55 to 80.” The term “30-pack year history” means they’ve smoked an average of one pack a day for 30 years, or two packs a day for 15 years.

Studies find 84-percent of lung cancer cases are detected in the late stage when it’s very difficult to treat. When detected earlier, the survival rate is increased by more than five times. Wimmer says anyone can get lung cancer, especially people who smoke and those around them.

“There’s also other risk factors, such as radon exposure, family history, other environmental impacts that can be a risk factor,” Wimmer says, “but the use of tobacco products is still the number-one risk factor for lung cancer.” In Iowa, 42-percent of the population is considered “ever smokers,” meaning they’re either current or former smokers, and they may benefit from the scan.

“Individuals can go to SavedByTheScan.org to take a quiz to see if they may fit into that high-risk category,” Wimmer says. “We also encourage individuals to talk to their doctor about having this scan done.”

The scan is typically a covered benefit under most insurance plans, according to Wimmer. There were more than 2,400 new lung cancer cases diagnosed in Iowa last year and nearly 1,800 deaths. Nationwide, lung cancer kills an average of 421 people daily, that’s about 18 deaths each hour, or one death every three-and-a-half minutes.

 

Emotional moment as ‘Patty’s Bill’ becomes law

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Patty Bernard watches with supporters as the Governor signs the bill.

A woman with stage four breast cancer stood holding hands with two breast cancer survivors as Governor Branstad signed a bill into law today.

The new law directs facilities that provide mammograms to let a woman know if she has dense breast tissue, so she can get an ultrasound in addition to a mammogram.

Advocates say tumors can be obscured in mammograms if a woman has dense breast tissue. Branstad praised Patty Bernard of West Des Moines during his official bill signing ceremony.

“Patty has advocated for breast density legislation for many years,” Branstad said. “As a result of Patty’s tireless work, I am proud to sign Senate File 250, which we are calling Patty’s Bill.”

Several of the women who surrounded Branstad’s desk for the event were moved to tears.

“We have a special pink copy of this bill,” Branstad said, getting an almost unison series of “Ahs,” from the crowd, who then applauded. “So Patty, you’re going to get this pink copy and this is the pen that I’m signing it with.”

Many of the women present, including Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, were wearing pink clothing. A group who called themselves “The Iowa Army of Pink” had lobbied for the bill for the past five years.

“Each year, over 2,300 Iowans are diagnosed with breast cancer,” Branstad said. “In fact, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed among females in Iowa.”

Branstad said letting women know they have dense breast tissue that may hide tumors from being visible on a mammogram “will save lives” because those women may detect tumors earlier.

 

Dense breast tissue issue addressed by legislation

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Bridget Pargulski.

After five years of lobbying, the “Iowa Army of Pink” has won its battle at the statehouse.

“This is the day I’ve prayed about for so long and I can’t believe it’s finally happening,” Bridget Pargulski of Johnston said today.

She’s part of the group that’s been asking legislators to force health care providers to let a woman know if she has dense breast tissue, so she can get an ultrasound in addition to a mammogram. This year, the bill has easily passed the Senate and House and is headed to the governor. The legislation sets up new rules for health care providers, so women will be given information about breast density and the increased risks that may be associated with it.

Representative Brian Best of Carroll paid tribute to one of the bill’s long-time advocates.

“Today I want to call this bill ‘Patty’s Bill’ after Patty Bernard,” Best said. “She’s been at the capitol advocating for this bill year after year. She’s here again today. She has a nine-centimeter tumor missed on a mammogram and she now has stage four cancer. Patty, this bill is for you and for all of the Army of Pink.”

Bernard and other women dressed in pink who’ve lobbied for the bill for years were seated in the House balcony as the bill passed the House today. Bernard was surprised when Best mentioned her during House debate.

“I was shocked. I had no idea,” Bernard said. “I’m honored.”

Bernard, who is from West Des Moines, has said during previous trips to the statehouse that she didn’t know mammograms sometimes do not show tumors if there’s dense tissue in the breast. Pargulski got involved in the lobbying effort because for four years in a row her cancer was missed in mammograms. She wore a pink sweater with “Army of Pink” lettering today.

“To get such a landslide vote was just amazing,” Pargulski said.

The bill passed the House on a 95-2 vote today. It unanimously cleared the Iowa Senate in mid-March and Governor Branstad is expected to sign it into law.

Branstad approves new rules for asbestos-related lawsuits

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Governor Terry Branstad. (file photo)

Governor Terry Branstad has signed a bill into law that changes the rules for Iowans who file asbestos-related lawsuits.

Asbestos causes cancer. In 1989, the federal government banned its use in new products. Backers of the new law say some attorneys are “double-dipping” — finding a way to get two settlements for one injured person — and that depletes resources for people who were exposed to asbestos and need help.

Senator Brad Zaun, Republican from Urbandale, said during Senate debate on the measure that more than 60 companies that made asbestos are out of business, but trust funds have been established to pay cancer victims.

“Ten-thousand people are affected by this disease now,” Zaun said. “…The average person is getting a $600,000 settlement and, at 10,000 a year, what we’re trying to do here is to preserve that fund for future people who’ve been affected by these working conditions.”

Representative Kirsten Running-Marquardt, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said during House debate that people who will be affected by this new law pleaded with legislators to oppose it.

“Iowans went to work, worked hard to provide for their families and they were exposed to a horrible chemical that took years off their life,” she said.

Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines who’s a lawyer, said the legislation places a “harsh trap door” under cancer victims who now will face a quick and unusual deadline for filing claims.

“There are real Iowans affected. Exposure that’s latent for decades. You’re walking around, you have no idea that this time bomb is going to go off,” Boulton said. “Are we really here to create an escape hatch for the companies that created this monster?”

Representative Andy McKean, a Republican attorney from Anamosa, said the new law will prioritize claims from patients in the end-stage of cancer.

“This bill does nothing to deprive claimants to receive 100 percent of what they’re entitled to,” McKean said. “…It’s going to help them get their day in court sooner.”

McKean said portions of this law are in effect in other states. Iowa’s new law would not affect the 17 Iowa cases of asbestos exposure making their way through the state’s courts. More than 2000 Iowans have died of asbestos-related cancer since 1999.