Why am I Running?

I am running this half marathon in honor of my Grandma, Martha Cervantes. She passed away fighting Pancreatic Cancer and I want to continue her fight by raising money to fund research for Pancreatic Cancer.

Why Donate?

Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all cancers – just 3% of those diagnosed survive for five years. It is also the only cancer that has seen no improvement in this figure over the last 40 years.

For many cancers, five year survival rates have increased hugely since the 1970s. For breast cancer – where large amounts have been spent on research – five year survival rates have increased from 50% to 80%.

Yet despite its high death rate and lack of improvement in chances of survival, pancreatic cancer attracts little research funding in comparison with many other cancers. In 2011, pancreatic cancer attracted just 1% of research funding from the major funding bodies.

There are a number of factors that influence the level of research funding for particular types of cancer, but for pancreatic cancer, ‘researchability’ and fundraising are the most significant.

Any little bit helps and all donations are highly appreciated!