The Hirshberg Foundation is happy to announce Shelby Yaceczko, MS, RDN-AP, CNSC, CSSD will be joining us at the 18th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer to discuss pancreatic enzyme education.

This presentation will review what pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) is, when it’s needed, how to take the medication, and common misconceptions around PERT. We will additionally review diet patterns for pancreatic cancer and how they may impact your pancreatic enzyme dosing regimen.

Shelby Yaceczko is an advanced practice registered dietitian who specializes in complex gastrointestinal conditions. She leads the Nutrition for Safer Surgeries program and supports the Division of Digestive Diseases and Surgical Oncology patient population at UCLA Health. She is a valued team member of the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases where she spends most of her time helping patients with pancreatic cancer improve their nutritional status and overall wellbeing during their cancer journey.

We are excited to welcome back Shelby Yaceczko, MS, RDN-AP, CNSC, CSSD to our Symposium to present Pancreatic Enzyme Education at the 18th Annual Symposium.

The Hirshberg Foundation is pleased to announce Mariana S. Niell-Swiller, MS will be joining us at the 18th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer to discuss Genetic Testing for Pancreatic Cancer.

Mariana will answer the question that many individuals impacted by pancreatic cancer ask: ‘Genetic counseling and testing; what is it and why does it matter’? She’ll also address the importance of knowing your hereditary cancer risk assessment in the setting of a personal or family history of pancreatic cancer. Having this crucial information may inform treatment decisions in addition to helping family members understand their potential risk and screening options.

Mariana Niell-Swiller, MS, CGC, is a board-certified genetic counselor who has been specializing in cancer genetics and hereditary cancer risk assessment for the majority of her career. Mariana earned a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Brandeis University and received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell University. After honing her molecular genetics skills as a genetics laboratory technician working on neurogenetics disorders, Mariana began her clinical career on the East Coast as a genetic counselor in Springfield, MA. She has since held several clinical and leadership positions from small community hospital settings to larger, specialized centers such as City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, CA. She now has the honor of providing hereditary cancer risk assessment to UCLA Health patients as well as continuing to build the cancer genetics program in her leadership role as Director, Cancer Genetic Counseling.

When she is not in the office, Mariana spends time kayaking, dancing, and hiking. She shares a love of nature with her husband, young son, and old dog.

We are privileged to have Mariana S. Niell-Swiller, MS present on Genetic Testing for Pancreatic Cancer at the 18th Annual Symposium.

The Hirshberg Foundation is happy to announce Joseph Herman, MD, will be joining us at the 18th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer to discuss Improving Pancreatic Cancer Patient Care: Canopy Cancer Collective.

Dr. Herman will share information about the Canopy Cancer Collective (CCC), founded in 2019. CCC addresses the urgent need for improved survival and patient experience in pancreatic cancer. Collaborating with 14 care centers through a Learning Health Network (LHN), CCC accelerates advancements in care delivery and outcomes by sharing data and best practices. The CCC focuses on enhancing access to nutrition, clinical trials, and palliative care services for pancreatic cancer patients across their care journey.

Joseph Herman, MD, MSc, MHCM, is currently the Medical Director for HistoSonics and Adjunct professor in the Institute of Cancer Research at the Feinstein Institutes. He previously served as a director of clinical research for the Northwell Health Cancer Institute as well as professor and ad interim division head in radiation oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. As an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University in the department of radiation oncology he initiated and co-directed the pancreatic multidisciplinary clinic.

Dr. Herman has served as a writing member of the American College of Radiology (ACR) guideline committee and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). He was a member the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Pancreas Task Force and initiated and led the pancreas cancer radiation oncology working group. He also previously served as chief medical officer and is currently on the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Dr. Herman’s research focuses on identification of novel biomarkers and integration of focused stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with immunotherapy and targeted therapies. He currently leads (CMO) a five-year funded project to create a pancreas Canopy Cancer Collective learning health network across 14 high-volume pancreas cancer centers.

We are honored to have Dr. Herman present on Improving Pancreatic Cancer Patient Care: Canopy Cancer Collective at the 18th Annual Symposium.

The Hirshberg Foundation is thrilled to announce Diane M. Simeone, MD will be joining us at the 18th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer to discuss the significance and importance of the Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Consortium: PRECEDE.

Early detection has the potential to dramatically change the trajectory of pancreatic cancer. The Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection (PRECEDE) Consortium is an international, multi-institutional collaborative group of experts working to increase survival for pancreatic cancer patients by improving early detection, screening, risk modeling and prevention for those with a heritable risk for pancreatic cancer, through a novel model of collaboration and data sharing. Dr. Simeone will discuss the current state of clinical surveillance for pancreatic cancer in high-risk individuals, and the role of large-scale collaborative research to accelerate progress toward meaningful improvement in survival.

Dr. Diane Simeone assumes the role of Director at Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of California San Diego Health, effective April 1, 2024. As director, she will spearhead the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored Cancer Center Support Grant as the principal investigator, while providing strategic intellectual guidance for the center’s research programs, administrative structure and multidisciplinary clinical service line. Under her leadership, MCC will have a significant impact on cancer treatment, detection, and prevention in the coming era. Previously, the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Professor of Surgery and Pathology at New York University, Dr. Simeone was Director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center, concurrently as the Associate Director for Translational Research. She is an internationally renowned pancreatic surgeon and a researcher with a long-standing career focus on the treatment of pancreatic neoplasms. With a remarkable record of accomplishment of continuous NIH funding spanning 25 years, investigating the molecular mechanisms driving pancreatic metastasis and the development of novel, more effective therapeutic strategies to treat pancreatic cancer patients. She has a large clinical practice taking care of patients with pancreatic neoplasms and those at elevated risk of the disease. She first discovered pancreatic cancer stem cells, identified ATDC as a novel oncogene in human cancers, and defined for the first-time unique populations of cancer associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer. She has been an innovator in the development of therapeutic clinical trials for pancreatic cancer, and is the Principal Investigator of Precision Promise, a national adaptive phase 2/3 platform clinical trial consortium focused on next-generation clinical trials for patients with pancreatic cancer. Dr. Simeone established and leads the Precede Consortium, an international collaboration of 50 centers dedicated to studying a large longitudinal cohort of individuals at heritable risk for pancreatic cancer. Her leadership extends beyond the laboratory, she is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and has chaired the scientific and medical advisory board of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, served as president of the Society of University Surgeons, the American Pancreatic Association, and National Cancer Institute’s Pancreatic Cancer Task Force. Recognized for her contributions, Dr. Simeone is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, setting her position as a leader in cancer research and clinical practice.

A critical piece of the early detection puzzle, we are excited to have Diane M. Simeone MD present Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Consortium: PRECEDE at the 18th Annual Symposium.

The Hirshberg Foundation is happy to announce Eileen O’Reilly, MD will be joining us at the 18th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer to share up-to-date information in a Pancreatic Cancer Progress Report 2024.

Dr. O’Reilly will review current state of the art treatments for pancreas cancer as well as the genetics of this disease. She will also discuss emerging targets, immunotherapy and vaccine approaches that are in development.

Eileen M. O’Reilly holds the Winthrop Rockefeller Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK). She serves as the Section Head for Hepatopancreaticobiliary/ Neuroendocrine Cancers, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Co-Director for Medical Initiatives at the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer and is an attending physician and member at MSK and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. O’Reilly received her medical degree at Trinity College in Ireland. She completed her postgraduate training in Ireland and subsequent Hematology/Oncology Fellowship training at MSK. Dr. O’Reilly is a clinical scientist whose research focus involves integration of molecular and genetic-based therapies for pancreas cancer along with development of adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatments and identification of biomarkers for therapy selection. Dr. O’Reilly teaches and mentors junior faculty, oncology fellows, residents and medical/other students and has received numerous teaching and other awards. Dr. O’Reilly is the Principal Investigator of multiple phase I, II, III trials in pancreas cancer and has authored/co-authored over 375 articles, editorials, and book chapters and has an H-index of 89. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Senior Editor for several other journals and has served on multiple grant review panels including, for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), NIH, DOD, and various international entities. She is the PI of the MSK Pancreas Specialized Program in Oncology Research Excellence (SPORE), an NCI funded team science grant. Dr. O’Reilly is the recipient of numerous awards including the Burkitt Medal (TCD) in 2022, and Giants of Cancer Care GI Oncology, 2023.

Dr. O’Reilly’s other responsibilities include Chair of the Human Research Protection Program and Institutional Review & Privacy Board (IRB). Nationally, Dr. O’Reilly is Co-Chair of the NCI Alliance Co-Operative Group Gastrointestinal Cancers Committee and serves on the NCI Gastrointestinal Cancers Steering Committee (GISC). She serves in leadership roles in several advocacy organizations including National Pancreas Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

An important update for our pancreatic cancer community, we are so happy to have Dr. Eileen O’Reilly present Pancreatic Cancer Progress Report 2024 at the 18th Annual Symposium.

Today, the American Cancer Society (ACS) published the 2024 Cancer Facts & Figures Report, unveiling the latest information on pancreatic cancer and a notable rise in survivorship. According to the report, the 5-year survival rate has reached 13%, marking a consecutive increase each year since 2021. This new data demonstrates a shift in pancreatic cancer outcomes and reflects worldwide efforts to change the trajectory of this disease. Our community of long-term survivors, caregivers, and families, continue to be the strongest advocates and most passionate voices in this fight. We invite you to make a donation, participate in a Hirshberg event, and help educate your community so that we can continue to make strides toward a cure.

As the first nonprofit organization dedicated to pancreatic cancer research, the Hirshberg Foundation continues to lead the fight for a cure and share our mantra: Never Give Up. While the ACS report confirms that we are headed in the right direction, it reaffirms the critical need for our work to continue. To date, pancreatic cancer remains the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and the ACS facts and figures show us that an estimated 66,440 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, an increase of nearly 4% since last year.

Funding research projects to improve patient care, treatments and, ultimately, pancreatic cancer survival rates remain a key pillar of the Hirshberg Foundation’s mission. In the past few months alone, we have shared exciting details about our newest Seed Grant recipients, updates on early detection biomarkers, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in diagnostics. The Hirshberg Foundation looks forward to sharing more advances in 2024.

Although overall statistics for pancreatic cancer remain dire, the Hirshberg Foundation remains hopeful. We continue to prioritize empowering patients and providing resources to navigate a diagnosis, the ultimate goal being a long and healthy life.  Founder, Agi Hirshberg, recognizes that statistics are only a part of a much bigger picture and there is life beyond this disease. At the Hirshberg Foundation’s annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer she shared, “I have a problem with the word survivor, I’ve never been comfortable with the term. I prefer heroes, I prefer champions, I prefer warriors, I prefer fighters, or I just prefer plain healthy.” As the 5-year survival rate continues to inch up, the foundation will continue to help patients navigate their diagnosis and provide critical support services through our Director of Patient Programs, Amy Reiss. The opening of the Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Center is a vital resource available to patients too. Recognized nationally as a Clinical and Academic Center of Excellence, the needs of pancreatic cancer patients are met in one location with the most advanced treatment options.

The ACS report affirms that we are headed in the right direction, but there remains a critical need for our work to continue. As this new data is reviewed, we encourage you to be proactive and utilize the many resources available to our community. Start a personal cancer prevention plan by learning the risk factors today. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, contact us. The 18th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer will be held on April 13th in person at UCLA, with videos made available to watch online. Registration Opens soon!

Read more on the ACS report →

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