We’re happy to announce that the video presentations of the 13^th annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer are now available to view on our website.  This year the Symposium was titled, ‘Mission to Cure Pancreatic Cancer’ and when you hear the speakers  you’ll share our confidence that our esteemed doctors and scientists are truly making a difference.   From advances in chemotherapy, robotic surgery, treatment,  and genetic testing, top experts from across the U.S. shared the latest information on pancreatic cancer to over 225 patients, families and caregivers.  This year two new subjects were introduced:  the challenges in treating pancreatic cancer and the genetic/hereditary factor.

“The symposium this year marks the highest attendance recorded in our 13-year history hosting this event,” said Agi Hirshberg, Founder and CEO of the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.  “The foundation wants to ensure that patients have the best information available to win the battle against pancreatic cancer.  We are privileged to have the capability of offering this type of resource free to the public.  We will relentlessly continue to move forward until our mission is complete.”

A major highlight of the symposium was a transparent and inspirational Q & A panel discussion with pancreatic cancer survivors who continue to defy the odds (along with 30 other survivors who were in attendance).  The survivor panel featured actress/comedian Wendy Hammers who added levity to the lively discussion.  Actress and pancreatic cancer survivor Charlotte Rae (Facts of Life) made a special guest appearance.

David Gius, MD, PhD from Northwestern University was funded in the 2012 cycle of the Hirshberg Foundation’s annual Seed Grant Program. The results of the study explain the genetic connection between aging and cancer.

Gius is the Vice Chair of Translation Research in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Pharmacology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and has been studying the relationship between aging and cancer. A fundamental observation in oncology is that the rate of malignancies increases significantly as a function of age and the development of cancers. In fact, advanced age is the single most important predictive variable for cancer incidence in pancreatic cancers. Dr. David Gius and his colleagues have investigated and found that this relationship involves one of the primary anti-aging genes, SIRT2, which interacts with KRAS and alters KRAS activity establishing a cellular environment in the pancreas favoring proliferation and genomic instability. KRAS mutations are observed in 95% of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Thus there is a genetic connection between aging and the early events that put humans at risk for pancreatic cancer. They have published their work in Oncotarget, 2016, Vol. 7, (No. 49): pages: 80336-80349.

2011 Seed Grant Recipient Ido Wolf, MD from University of Tel Aviv, Israel, recently published his findings that will offer novel approaches towards development of new therapies for pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Wolf, Head of Oncology Research Laboratory at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center has been investigating the role of klotho in pancreatic cancer. Klotho is a potent aging suppressor protein. Mice and humans lacking klotho suffer from early aging, while overexpressing of klotho extends lifespan. He and his colleagues identified klotho as a novel tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer. Klotho expression is reduced in pancreatic cancer compared to normal pancreatic tissue and treatment with klotho inhibits growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Dr. Wolf and his colleagues study the role of klotho in the development of pancreatic cancer and discover mechanisms that mediate its activities by inhibiting insulin like growth hormone (IGF-1) fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signals in pancreatic cancer. They are now expanding their research work on how klotho regulates pancreatic tumor metabolism. Since klotho is an endogenous hormone, its administration is potentially feasible. Their discoveries may identify new therapeutic targets and aid in the development of novel therapies for pancreatic cancer.

Richard Hatch, star of the original “Battlestar Galatica” passed away on February 7, 2017 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Hatch was best known for his role as Captain Apollo in the original “Battlestar Galactica” sci-fi series, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a TV drama series. He played Tom Zarek, a different character on the Syfy remake in 2003. Hatch started acting in Off Broadway productions but his career took off after landing a leading role in “All My Children.” He has a lengthy list of TV credits, including many guest roles in ’70s and ’80s television favorites like “Baywatch,” “MacGyver,” “CHiPS,” and “Murder She Wrote.”

The Hirshberg Foundation, with the blessing of Richard’s family, is honored to invite fans, family & friends to pay special tribute to Hatch on March 19 at the Los Angeles Marathon. The Hirshberg Foundation, an official charity of the Los Angeles Marathon, hosts a cheer station in Brentwood, along the course. Dubbed the Purple People Party, our cheer station brings out hundreds of volunteers to cheer on the runners and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. We invite you to join us as we honor Richard Hatch at the Purple People Party.

Memorial Fund ➤

The Hirshberg Foundation is excited to have Dr. Zhaoping Li, joining us at the 13th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer to discuss the role that food and diet play in achieving optimal health.

Zhaoping Li, MD, is a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, Chief of the Division of Clinical Nutrition in the Department of Medicine, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and a Physician Nutrition Specialist.

Dr. Li’s primary areas of research are obesity treatment and prevention, the role of nutrition, phytochemicals, and botanical dietary supplements in the prevention and treatment of metabolic disease, common forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and Journal of American Dietetic Association.

We are excited to have Dr. Li will speak on Optimal Nutrition for pancreatic cancer at the 13th Annual Symposium at UCLA.

The Hirshberg Foundation is excited to have Dr. Randall E. Brand join us at the 13th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer to discuss the role that genetics play in pancreatic cancer.

Randall E. Brand, MD, is a Professor of Medicine and a physician-scientist with an extensive background in pancreatic diseases mainly focused on the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and cystic lesions of the pancreas. His research also involves familial pancreatic cancer and other hereditary GI disorders. He is leader of the University of Pittsburgh’s Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Gene Environment Registry (PAGER). The biospecimen repository developed as part of the PAGER study is nationally recognized and serves as an excellent resource for multiple NIH/NCI funded projects along with national and international collaborations with outside researchers. He is a key contributor to the Early Detection Research Network, especially in research related to pancreatic cancer and cystic neoplasms. He is currently funded in the network as a principal investigator to lead both a multi-center Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Validation Center and Biomarker Developmental Laboratory.

Dr. Brand’s clinical practice focuses on the management of pancreatic cancer, cystic lesions of the pancreas and patients with other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. As director of the Hereditary GI Tumor Program, Dr. Brand specializes in the management of individuals at high risk for the development of colon cancer, pancreatic cancer and other GI malignancies. Dr. Brand works closely with genetic counselors who have an expertise in the evaluation of individuals with a GI cancer predisposition based on personal and family history.

We are excited to have Dr. Brand with us to address Is it all in the Genes? when it comes to pancreatic cancer at the 13th Annual Symposium at UCLA.