The Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer: Showing Up for PanCAN PurpleStride Michigan for 17 Years and Counting

The Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center has been a part of PanCAN PurpleStride Michigan since Day One.

They were there with a team at the very first PurpleStride Michigan in 2009 and have participated every year since. They've been sponsors since 2018 and have returned this year as Premier Sponsor for PurpleStride Michigan. Their staff and team are just as enthusiastic as they were in 2009 - their team is already more than 10% over their goal!

"I'm looking forward to being around other people who share a passion for making things better for patients with pancreatic cancer and their families. The community mindset when everyone is together, supporting the same cause, working toward the same goals, is an incredible feeling. It is a privilege to be part of this supportive group of people," said Jamie Mills, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Hematology/Oncology at Michigan Medicine and Emerging Scholar in Clinical Trials at the Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer.

"Our team of pancreatic researchers returns to this event every year because it is the people - the patients and their families - who motivate us to keep working to improve treatment options in this challenging disease," said Dr. Mills.

The University of Michigan has had a premier pancreatic cancer treatment program for decades, including the first dedicated multidisciplinary pancreatic cancer clinic in the region. Their Rogel and Blondy team has the most robust research funding in the region and a collaborative group of more than 60 people working in the labs to unravel clues and to improve treatments for this disease.

"Not only are we caring for patients and uncovering new insights, but many of our team members have had family members or friends with pancreatic cancer," said Dr. Mills. "Our team lives and breathes the full spectrum of pancreatic cancer involvement."

"When I think about PanCAN and PurpleStride, I think about support and advocacy. My patients are facing serious diagnoses and being able to refer them to people who can help them navigate the system and know what questions to ask is so important for helping them get through treatment," she said.

Dr. Mills describes patients with pancreatic cancer as strong, tenacious and resilient.
"We need more options. We need to do better for the patients. That is why we are all here - to raise awareness and funds to support research and make meaningful changes to the way we treat pancreatic cancer," she said.

"It's an exciting time to work in this field as new KRAS inhibitors are coming out, and we have hope for new treatments that we haven't had in 30 years. It is events like PurpleStride that raise the support to fuel research forward. As a community, we should all take pride in being part of advancing pancreatic cancer care."