Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Encourages The Public To “Shine The Light” On Pancreatic Cancer During This November

With No Standard Early Detection Test for the General Public, Leading Nonprofit Dedicated to Advancing Progress Encourages Knowing Risks, Symptoms and Advocates for More Funding

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 30, 2025) - The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) launched its annual Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month campaign today to raise awareness about the world's toughest cancer. This November, PanCAN will "Shine a Light" on pancreatic cancer through education about the risks and symptoms of the disease, providing ways to honor survivors and those we've lost and offering ways to get involved and give back.

High-profile ambassadors who have a personal connection to the disease including reality stars Joan Vassos and Bailey Taylor Brown, actors from Star Trek, including Jonathan Frakes, Kitty Swink, Armin Shimerman, John Billingsley, and TV writer-producer Juan Carlos Coto, who lost his brother, "Star Trek Enterprise" Executive Producer Manny Coto, and Jeff Mauro from the Food Network - among others - will join PanCAN in raising awareness and inspiring action.

PanCAN's Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month campaign includes different ways to get involved and make a difference, such as:

• Creating a Tribute Page for loved ones. A Tribute Page is a meaningful way for friends and family to honor, celebrate or remember the life of a loved one while raising funds for pancreatic cancer research and patient programs.
• Spreading knowledge of certain risk factors that may increase the chance of getting pancreatic cancer, like family history, race, smoking, diabetes, obesity, age and others and the most common symptoms of the disease. PanCAN is committed to widely sharing this information to raise awareness and encourage people to advocate for their own health.
• Advocating to protect and increase federal funding for pancreatic cancer research. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, and it demands dedicated, sustained and increased federal investment.
• Opportunities for creating a team for PanCAN PurpleStride 2026, the biggest community event of the year, taking place on April 25, 2026.
• Joining an educational webinar on World Pancreatic Cancer Day (Nov. 20). This free, virtual event includes a panel of top researchers and leaders in the field who are working to transform how we identify people at high risk for the disease and detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage, when it's more treatable.

"Pancreatic cancer is a silent killer. With no reliable standard early detection test for the general population yet, it's important for people to empower themselves and understand both their risks and the symptoms of the disease," said PanCAN President and Chief Executive Officer Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA. "The disease also needs more investment from the federal government, from industry and from private donors to enable us to accelerate progress for patients. Every action taken this month brings us closer to a future where surviving pancreatic cancer will become the norm and not the exception."

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat. It is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and is on track to become the second. It remains the only major cancer with a five-year survival rate below 20%. Because symptoms are often vague and mimic other conditions, most patients are diagnosed in the later stages, when tumors are inoperable and treatment options are limited. Detecting the disease earlier, when surgery is possible, is critical to improving outcomes.

For anyone impacted by pancreatic cancer, contact PanCAN Patient Services to be connected to a case manager who can provide compassionate support and free, one-to-one, personalized information about the disease, treatment options, clinical trial searches and more to patients and families.

For more information about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its urgent mission to save lives, visit pancan.org or follow PanCAN on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is the leading organization dedicated to advancing progress against pancreatic cancer. We unite the pancreatic cancer community and push every boundary to create a world where survival is the norm - not the exception. PanCAN empowers patients and caregivers with the resources and knowledge they need to advocate for the care they deserve. We are pioneering the advancement of an early detection strategy for pancreatic cancer and revolutionizing the development of advanced and personalized treatments; and we are building and mobilizing the pancreatic cancer field to ensure better outcomes for all those who face pancreatic cancer today and all those who will fight this disease tomorrow.

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Media Contact:

SMITHHOUSE Strategy for PanCAN Email: [email protected]

Julie Vasquez, Senior Director, Public Relations, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Direct: 310-697-9129, Email: [email protected]