Peter Lau was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in September 2023. Nearly three years later, he continues to move forward with hope, determination, and a belief in the power of research.
When Peter was diagnosed, he knew the road ahead would not be easy. But rather than let statistics define his future, Peter embraced a phrase from the Hirshberg Foundation that has become central to his outlook: “I’m a statistic of one.”
Nearly three years later, Peter is living proof that hope, determination, and innovative research can make a meaningful difference. Through ongoing chemotherapy, participation in a clinical trial at UCLA, and the support of family, friends, and the pancreatic cancer community, he continues to take each day as it comes.
While his treatment journey has been marked by uncertainty and a whirlwind of emotions, he has also discovered something equally powerful: a community that understands. Through the Hirshberg Foundation and a peer-to-peer support group, Peter has found encouragement, friendship, and a place where survivors lift one another up through every victory and every challenge.
Peter is quick to point out that this journey has also brought heartbreak. Over the past year, he has lost friends to pancreatic cancer, losses that fuel his commitment to advancing research.
“I don’t want anyone else to suffer the loss of a loved one to this aggressive disease,” he says. “Heck, I don’t want my loved ones to suffer the loss of me either.”
His words capture why the LA Cancer Challenge matters. Every dollar raised helps support the research, patient programs, and community that give people affected by pancreatic cancer more reasons to hope. As a UCLA patient, Peter has seen firsthand the importance of research and clinical trials in creating new possibilities for people living with pancreatic cancer.
Peter first came to the LA Cancer Challenge in 2024, when he attended simply to support the cause. He never expected to complete the full 5K. With his walking sticks in hand and a willingness to see what was possible, he crossed the finish line and found one of the most meaningful moments of his year. Much like his treatment journey, what once seemed overwhelming became possible, one step, one infusion, one pill, and one day at a time.
That perspective is one Peter hopes to share as the 2026 LA Cancer Challenge Honorary Starter.
Peter is a passionate advocate for the Hirshberg Foundation’s mission because he has experienced both sides of its work firsthand: the importance of advancing research and the importance of supporting the people living with pancreatic cancer today. He feels especially connected to the Foundation’s work at UCLA, where researchers and clinicians are pursuing new approaches to pancreatic cancer treatment and care. For Peter, research is not an abstract concept. It represents possibility, time, and hope.
As the 2026 Honorary Starter, Peter will represent the many people who make the LA Cancer Challenge possible: patients and survivors, caregivers and loved ones, researchers and clinicians, volunteers, fundraisers, and supporters. Together, we are working to create more time, more hope, and better treatments for people facing pancreatic cancer.
Whether you walk, run, donate, volunteer, or cheer from the sidelines, every action matters. Every step helps move research forward and brings us closer to a cure. On race day, Peter will once again take those steps alongside the pancreatic cancer community, reminding us all that progress happens one step at a time.
