Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Determined daughter seeks awareness on World Pancreatic Cancer Day
Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
And, says Mary Katherine Wilson of Fayetteville, “it is the world’s toughest cancer, with a five-year survival rate at just 11%.”
Wilson knows these statistics not just because she is a volunteer — the Mission/Advocacy chairwoman — with the Arkansas Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCan) but because she lost both of her parents to the disease just eight months apart.
Nov. 17 is World Pancreatic Cancer Day, a day when “people all over the world unite during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month to raise awareness about the disease and educate one another,” and Wilson wants to bring awareness to the deadly form of cancer, its symptoms and the search for a cure.
“I got involved with PanCan shortly after losing my parents to this disease,” she begins her story. “It was 2009. My dad was to have his gallbladder out when he turned jaundiced. His doctor immediately did a scan and diagnosed him with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. His doctors gave him four to six months to live and [said] that he should get his affairs in order.
“He went for a second opinion and was able to find a doctor who would perform the Whipple procedure, which is a very complex, high-risk surgery, but the only chance of a cure.
“It was during this time that my mom was also diagnosed,” Wilson goes on. “Mom had been having back pain and nausea on and off for several months, but no one could tell her what was wrong. She had been in and out of doctors’ offices and hospitals, when she was finally transferred to a specialist who would perform the [test] that detected her Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
“I remember sitting with my brother in the hospital: Dad was in recovery from his 11-hour surgery, and Mom was just diagnosed by her doctors. We sat stunned, sad, angry, confused, and I remember feeling so alone. I had never heard of pancreatic cancer, but I knew at that time, there was only a 5% chance of survival over five years.”
Because of the location of the cancer, there weren’t many treatment options for Wilson’s mother. She tried chemotherapy, then decided to “choose quality over quantity” and died 17 months after her diagnosis. “My dad died eight months after Mom,” Wilson says. “Both parents! What are the odds? Well, it was then that I made it my mission to find others who had gone through what my brother and I went through.”
Wilson found PanCan online and called their patient/caregiver line.
“They listened to me, they took down my information and were able to help put me in touch with another local woman who had lost her father to pancreatic cancer. We connected, and then slowly started to find others and started a community group of volunteers who began raising awareness locally. Four years ago, our volunteer group turned into the Arkansas Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCan),” Wilson explains.
“Through this process, I was able to take the pain and grief of what happened to my mom and
dad, and turn it into something positive,” Wilson says. “It may have been too late for my parents, but it doesn’t have to be for pancreatic cancer patients today. I just want people to know that they are not alone.”
Wilson says symptoms of pancreatic cancer include back or abdominal pain, indigestion, weight loss, jaundice, nausea, changes in stool and recent onset diabetes. Risk factors include family history, age, pancreatitis, smoking, obesity and diabetes.
“Early detection is the key, yet there is still no early detection test,” she says. “That is why funding for research is so important. We have to find a cure.” On World Pancreatic Cancer Day, Wilson says, “you can help raise awareness by wearing purple, you can share your story on Facebook or Instagram and tag @PanCan and use hashtags #panCANawareness.”
You can also join the local PanCan affiliate. Find out more about it at facebook.com/groups/pancan. arkansas. Visit pancan.org for more information about PanCan’s efforts in the fight to end pancreatic cancer.
“We just had our second annual Get Tee’d Off for Pancreatic Cancer in October that raised more than $15,000 for PanCan,” Wilson says. “We will have our annual Cowboy Up for a Cure event in February and our PurpleStride 5K on April 29, 2023. This is our ultimate walk to end pancreatic cancer. We celebrate our survivors and raise funds for research.
“If you or someone you know has pancreatic cancer, you don’t have to feel alone anymore,” she concludes, offering her email at mkwilson@pancanvolunteer.org for those who want to reach out. “There is hope.”