CINJ experts available to discuss risk factors of pancreatic cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cancer killer in the country, with nearly 44,000 new cases expected in 2011 and more than 37,600 deaths by year's end. In New Jersey alone, an estimated 1,100 deaths are predicted this year due to the disease. The death of Steve Jobs, who suffered from a form of pancreatic cancer, has brought increased attention to the disease in recent weeks.

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risk factors surrounding pancreatic cancer, as well as treatment and prevention options, during this National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The pancreas, located in the abdomen, is a six-inch long, pear-shaped gland that helps to make enzymes for food digestion. The lifetime risk for developing pancreatic cancer is one in 71 for both men and women, with African American men having a slightly higher risk. The five-year survival rate is about six percent. Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, weight loss and abdominal pain.

CINJ experts available for comment include:

David A. August, MD, is the chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at CINJ and a professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. August is also the co-director of CINJ's Gastrointestinal/Hepatobiliary Oncology Program, which is a multidisciplinary clinical and scientific program that provides comprehensive services to patients with pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions involving the pancreas and other gastrointestinal organs. He can discuss the importance of patients having a comprehensive evaluation under one roof with a close collaboration of multiple specialists.

Elizabeth Poplin, MD, is the co-director of the Gastrointestinal/Hepatobiliary Oncology Program at CINJ and an associate professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Poplin has clinical expertise in the management of pancreatic cancer including standard and novel treatment options, including a new immune therapy trial that targets direct injection into the pancreas tumor.

Edmund Lattime, PhD, is the deputy director at CINJ and associate director for education and training. Dr. Lattime, who is also a professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is a co-investigator in the aforementioned vaccine therapy trial and can discuss the science behind it.

Source: Cancer Institute of New Jersey