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The Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection (PRECEDE) Consortium is an international, multi-institutional collaborative group of experts that was established several years ago to increase survival for pancreatic cancer patients. Its mission is to increase the 5-year survival rate from 12% to 50% by improving early detection and screening for those at elevated risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. It is currently the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States after lung and colon and is projected to become the 2nd cause of cancer deaths by 2030. Both the incidence and the mortality figures are still steadily rising!

Sadly, pancreatic cancer still has one of the lowest 5-year survival rates of any kind of cancer, at about 12%. It’s time to dramatically increase that number.

Cancer survival rates are often measured in 5-year increments, meaning that percentage represents people who survive 5 years after their diagnosis. The good news is that the risk of cancer recurrence generally decreases over time, but it’s still different for each disease and patient.

What does the Precede Consortium do?

The Precede Consortium works collaboratively with its members and partners to advance its mission. The Precede Consortium is currently involved in several projects aimed at increasing the 5-year survival rate from 12% to 50% within the next 10 years.

TrovaNOW is raising funds for PRECEDE – an international, multi-institutional collaborative consortium of world-renowned experts in pancreatic cancer.

With over 30 leading academic medical centers across the globe, PRECEDE has assembled the largest high-risk patient cohort, with longitudinal clinical data and biospecimen acquisition and tracking.

How will we do this? Transform these rates with research, early detection, and prevention strategies for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer survivor Jamie Brickell shares how early detection of pancreatic cancer saved his life. We are thrilled to have him currently serving on our Board of Directors!

Early detection is the biggest opportunity to address this disease. We are establishing a first-of-its-kind program for early detection and prevention. This includes a research initiative to identify biomarkers of abnormal pancreatic cells so we can intervene before they become invasive cancer cells. We’re also focusing on people who have had multiple family members with pancreatic cancer or who have mutations linked to pancreatic cancer. The goal is to develop new treatment paradigms to markedly delay or prevent the formation of pancreatic cancer in high-risk individuals.

We are proud to stand together at the edge of making a dent in pancreatic cancer and moving towards a brighter, healthier, more vibrant future. TrovaNow’s own Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr. Diane M. Simeone, MD shares more:

“Patients are counting on us to do something about this disease, it is going to be a big job. It is not just our academic institutions that are going to make this happen. This year is going to be our break-out year, so everybody get ready for the ride!”

How To Donate To Cancer Research?

This is our chance to shine a light on this misunderstood disease by coming together as a community to raise awareness. With your support and funding, we can improve research and early detection mechanisms – our greatest chance to improve survival rates.

Learn how you can be part of the revolutionary mission to increase survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients around the globe. Visit www.trovanow.org to learn how you can get involved and donate today. 

Pancreatic Cancer is one of the deadliest common forms of cancer. Anyone can get pancreatic cancer. It affects women and men equally, across all races and ethnicities around the globe. African Americans and people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent have elevated risk for developing the disease. 

Pancreatic cancer is a disease caused by damage or mutations to the DNA. It’s not clear what causes pancreatic cancer. However, research has identified some risk factors that may lead to these mutations and the development of pancreatic cancer.

These risk factors are known to increase your chances of developing pancreatic cancer:

• Age
• Pancreatitis
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Family History

Understanding Your Pancreas

Why is the pancreas a vital organ? The pancreas is a gland that is part of the digestive system. It produces insulin and other important enzymes and hormones that help break down foods into smaller molecules that can be absorbed in the intestines. 

It plays an important role in healthy digestion and is vital for the absorption of vitamins and nutrients which support the liver, kidneys, nervous system and cardiovascular system.

Unfortunately, the pancreas is difficult to reach and its complexities make it susceptible to various disorders including pancreatic cancer. Here are some ways to keep your pancreas healthy:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a low-fat diet
• Watch your alcohol intake
• Avoid smoking

Inherited Gene Mutations

Is pancreatic cancer hereditary? An individual is more at risk for pancreatic cancer if they meet one or more of the following conditions:

• At least two first-degree relatives (Parent, sibling, or child) have had pancreatic cancer.
• There are three or more relatives with pancreatic cancer on the same side of the family.
• There’s a known family cancer syndrome plus at least one family member with pancreatic cancer.

Do you have a family history of pancreatic cancer? New research links specific genes and mutations to an increased likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer. However, only some of these genes are hereditary. According to the American Cancer Society: “Up to 10% of pancreatic cancers develop as a result of inherited genes.”

Certain genetic factors may increase the risk for pancreatic cancer, including:

• BRCA2 & BRCA1 Mutation – Both mutations increase the risk of breast, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
• PALB2 Mutation – Women with a PALB2 mutation are at increased risk for several types of cancer including pancreatic.
• HNPCC (Hereditary Non Polyposic Colorectal Cancer) Lynch Syndrome – Lynch syndrome is the most common hereditary cancer. People who have Lynch syndrome may have a nine fold increase in the risk for pancreatic cancer.
• Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS) – It is a disorder in which polyps grow in the digestive tract. This condition can be developed in the small and large intestine, it can cause bleeding and blockages.
• Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma Syndrome (FAMMM) – It is characterized by multiple moles and a family history of melanoma.

Acquired Gene Mutations

An acquired gene mutation is not inherited from a parent. They occur and develop during a person’s life. It can’t be passed to a person’s children because this type of mutation does not affect sperm or egg cells.

These acquired gene mutations sometimes result from environmental factors, such as smoking or exposure to certain chemicals. Smoking is one of the major pancreatic cancer risk factors.

People who smoke are two (2) times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer compared to those who have never smoked before. About  20-35% of pancreatic cancers are caused by cigarette smoking. This means that quitting today can have a significant impact on your future health.

How You Can Help Early Detection Research

Without early diagnosis and intervention, most patients are diagnosed when their cancer has progressed to a late stage, leaving patients and their loved ones feeling hopeless. We cannot allow this devastation to continue, and it is vital that we find a solution to the gap in early diagnosis for pancreatic cancer.

Together, there is hope. TrovaNOW proceeds go towards collaborative research to detect pancreatic cancers earlier, saving thousands of lives from the world’s deadliest cancer.

If you have any questions or If you want more information about how to donate, just email us at trovanow@gmail.com

What is the reason TrovaNow was created? 1 in every 13 cancer deaths in the U.S. is a pancreatic cancer death and about 70% of patients die within 1 year of diagnosis. We know with your help, we can change these numbers. 

When it comes to cancer, there’s no time to waste.

We know that with the right people and adequate funding we can make significant improvements in current pancreatic cancer survival rates. We are working hard to support the PRECEDE Consortium and its industry partners to develop first-of-its-kind tests for early detection. This includes research to identify biomarkers of abnormal pancreatic cells so we can intervene before they become invasive cancer cells.

We’re also focusing on people who have had multiple family members with pancreatic cancer or who have mutations linked to pancreatic cancer. These high risk individuals will help us intervene at the earliest possible time to markedly delay or prevent the formation of pancreatic cancer.

To tackle early detection and to develop a strategy that’s going to work, first we have to figure out who’s at risk.

One of the things we are doing  is to push for the identification of individuals who are in families with multiple members with pancreas cancer. We know that at least 10% of patients with pancreatic cancer actually carry a gene that puts them at risk for developing pancreatic cancer. That’s even absent from any family history of pancreas cancer.

If we can enroll more of these patients in our study, we can make sure they are effectively screened using genetic profiling and imaging techniques. And their data will help us develop more effective, less invasive tools for early detection. 

What Is The Best Charity For Pancreatic Cancer Research?

TrovaNOW is raising funds for PRECEDE – an international, multi-institutional collaborative consortium of world renowned experts in pancreatic cancer. Our goal is to increase the 5-year survival rate of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer from 12% to 50% in the next 10 years.

How You Can Help Early Detection Research

With your donation, we can change the world. It is our opportunity to elevate our voices to raise awareness and invite others to answer our call-to-action. It is a time to educate the world by sharing our stories, raise money for research and let patients know that we will never give up.

Hope for the future starts with you. With more research and funding, fewer lives will be taken. Join us in our mission to advance the detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer to transform the landscape of this disease and improve survival rates.

PRECEDE Consortium

The PRECEDE Consortium is an international network of over 40 academic medical centers around the world who are committed to early detection for pancreatic cancer.  We are studying people at high risk for developing the disease as part of our mission to improve survival rates. Through this effort, we are bringing together clinicians, basic researchers, patients, biopharmaceutical and technology companies to accelerate new approaches to early detection and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

The PRECEDE Consortium will be an innovation hub, disseminating new protocols and discoveries. We will apply a technology-rich, data-driven, integrated model of basic, translational, and clinical research to early detection and prevention.

We cannot accomplish all that we need to without working together. Learn how even a small donation can make a BIG impact. 

If you want more information about how to donate, just email us at trovanow@gmail.com or learn more by visiting our website www.trovanow.com

Did you know the average lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 64? And some controllable risk factors may increase your chance of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis including: tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, and exposure to certain workplace chemicals.

Remember that these risk factors can be changed, so it’s important to limit or eliminate as many of these as possible.

• Smoking – Smoking is one of the major pancreatic cancer risk factors. People who smoke are two (2) times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer compared to those who have never smoked before. About  20-35% of pancreatic cancers are caused by cigarette smoking.
• Alcohol – Having more than three drinks per day is associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Overweight – About 20% of obese people have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The risk is even higher in people who have been obese since childhood.
• Diet  – High consumption of sugary drinks, fats, red and processed meats may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
• Diabetes – Diabetes can be an early symptom of pancreatic cancer. It is more common in people with type 2 diabetes. About a third of people over 65 have diabetes.

The following may also increase the risk of having pancreatic cancer.

• Age – Cancer is more common in older people because of their prolonged exposure to carcinogens. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer is greatest in people over the age of 60. 
• Race (Ethnicity) – Pancreatic cancer risk factors may be affected by race or ethnicity.   Pancreatic cancer  is more common in African Americans  than any other racial group in the United States. Ashkenazi Jewish people also have a higher rate of pancreatic cancer.
• Family History – People with a family history may have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer or Familial pancreatic cancer (FPC), if they have a first-degree relative (A parent, sibling or child) who has the disease. Only 10% of pancreatic cancers are considered hereditary. 
• Certain genetic factors may increase the risk for pancreatic cancer, including:
  • BRCA2 & BRCA1 Mutation – Both mutations increase the risk of breast, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
  • PALB2 Mutation – Women with a PALB2 mutation are at increased risk for several types of cancer including pancreatic.
  • HNPCC (Hereditary Non Polyposic Colorectal Cancer) Lynch Syndrome – Lynch syndrome is the most common hereditary cancer. People who have Lynch syndrome may have a nine fold increase in the risk for pancreatic cancer.
  • Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS) – It is a disorder in which polyps grow in the digestive tract. This condition can be developed in the small and large intestine, it can cause bleeding and blockages.
  • Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma Syndrome (FAMMM) – It is characterized by multiple moles and a family history of melanoma.

At TrovaNOW, our mission is to raise funding for collaborative research for early detection and prevention of pancreatic cancer – with the aim of increasing the 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer from 12% to 50% within the next 10 years.⁣ We see big opportunities for making advances to pancreatic cancer survival rates.

• We are supporting a first-of-its-kind program for early detection and prevention of pancreatic cancer, known as the PRECEDE Consortium. This includes a research initiative to identify biomarkers of abnormal pancreatic cells so we can intervene before they become invasive cancer cells.
• We’re also focusing on people who have had multiple family members with pancreatic cancer or who have mutations linked to pancreatic cancer.
• The goal is to develop new treatment paradigms to markedly delay or prevent the formation of pancreatic cancer in high-risk individuals.

TrovaNOW proceeds go towards collaborative research on pancreatic cancers earlier detection, saving thousands of lives from the world’s deadliest cancer. Learn more at http://trovanow.com

If you have any questions or If you want more information about how to donate, just email us at trovanow@gmail.com 

Have you heard that the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer increased? The American Cancer Society released their Cancer Facts & Figures, reporting that the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer increased from 11% to 12%.

For the first time since 2017, the survival rate has increased for 2 years in a row. This promising trend points to continued progress in the fight against pancreatic cancer. It also means more loved ones will make it to 5 years after their diagnosis. Still, much work remains to be done.

Even as we celebrate this progress, we know there is so much more to be done. We will continue taking bold action to increase the survival rate for pancreatic cancer. At TrovaNow, we are up for the challenge. Together we fight. For our family. For our friends. For the future. For all.

The mission is to facilitate collaboration between the scientific community, the leading experts in pancreatic cancer, and industry to improve early detection, screening, risk modeling and prevention for those with a heritable risk for pancreatic cancer. Over 39 of the world’s leading medical centers are now working together as part of this collaborative effort known as the PRECEDE Consortium.

TrovaNow is the non-profit charitable organization that is dedicated to raising funds for PRECEDE.  Together with representation from the pharmaceutical, biotech, imaging, AI/machine learning, genetics and molecular diagnostics industries, TrovaNow is working to foster the exchange of ideas and information that will help us achieve our common goal of an increase in the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer from 10% (Now increased to 12%) to 50% in the next 10 years. PRECEDE has assembled the largest high-risk patient cohort, with biospecimen collection and longitudinal clinical data that will be used to accelerate the development of new approaches to early detection and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

Continue this fight with us by making a donation to TrovaNOW today and help advance the early detection of pancreatic cancer and save lives. Your support keeps pancreatic cancer research going. Contributions go towards:⁣

• Maximizing identification of high risk individuals + advance early detection research and clinical care⁣.
• Developing and validating an early detection blood test for pancreatic cancer.⁣
• Advancing the understanding of genetics to pancreatic cancer risk and development, including finding new pancreatic cancer susceptibility genes.⁣
• Formulating and executing a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer prevention. ⁣

There is no simple screening test or other early detection tool for the disease, and its earliest symptoms are non-specific. Early detection and prevention would dramatically change the trajectory of pancreatic cancer, saving tens of thousands of lives each year.

Hope for the future starts with you. With more research and funding, fewer lives will be taken. Join us in our mission to advance the detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer to transform the landscape of this disease and improve survival rates.

With your donation, we’ll take bold action to improve the lives of everyone impacted by pancreatic cancer by advancing scientific research, building community, sharing knowledge, and advocating for patients.

If you have any questions or If you want more information about how to donate, just email us at trovanow@gmail.com or learn more at http://trovanow.com

Pancreatic cancer is hard to detect. It is usually not found until it is in advanced stages. There are several tests used for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. If you’re experiencing any symptoms and your doctor suspects pancreatic cancer, you may have to undergo the following:

• Imaging tests – Provide a visual study of the pancreas to detect potential abnormalities.
  • Ultrasound – Uses sound waves to create a picture of the pancreas.
  • Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) – Involves passing a thin tube through the mouth into the stomach to create images of the pancreas.
  • Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – A dye is injected into the ducts so that x-rays can show if the ducts are narrowed or if there is any blockage.
  • Computed Tomography (CT) Scans  – Take a series of x-rays that create a 3D view of the body taken from different angles. 
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – It uses a strong magnetic field and radiofrequency waves. 
  • Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scans –  Use a small amount of radioactive sugar that is injected before the body is scanned to find cancer. The cancerous cell will light up in the images because it uses more sugar than normal cells. PET Scans may be combined with a CT scan.
• Biopsy – A tissue sample is taken during an endoscopic imaging procedure or a needle biopsy (fine-needle aspiration) so that the tissue can be examined under a microscope.
• Blood Test – The doctor may take blood samples to check:
• • Bilirubin – Abnormal levels of bilirubin is common in people with pancreatic cancer because of a tumor blocking the bile duct.
  • Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) – It is a tumor marker. Elevated levels of this may indicate cancer.

Know All Your Treatment Options

Treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer will depend on several factors including the size and location of the tumor, type, stage and overall health of the patient. Treatment options include:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation Therapy
• Chemoradiation Therapy
• Targeted Therapy
• Immunotherapy

Stages Of Pancreatic Cancer

The American Joint Committee on Cancer developed a standardized system of numbers and letters to describe the size and location of pancreatic cancer. Each letter and number tell you something about cancer.

• Stage 0 – Abnormal cells might become cancerous and spread to nearby tissue.
• Stage 1 – The tumor is in the pancreas.
• Stage 2 – The tumor has either spread to nearby tissues, organs or lymph nodes.
• Stage 3 – The cancer has spread outside your pancreas. 
• Stage 4 – The cancer has spread to other organs or parts of the body.

How To Donate To Cancer Research?

TrovaNOW proceeds go towards collaborative research to detect pancreatic cancers earlier, saving thousands of lives from the world’s deadliest cancer. Your support keeps pancreatic cancer research going. Contributions go towards:⁣

• Maximizing identification of high risk individuals + advance early detection research and clinical care⁣.
• Developing and validating an early detection blood test for pancreatic cancer.⁣
• Advancing the understanding of genetics to determine pancreatic cancer risk and development, including finding new pancreatic cancer susceptibility genes.⁣
• Formulating and executing a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer prevention. ⁣

If you have any questions or If you want more information about how to donate to cancer research, just email us at trovanow@gmail.com or learn more at http://trovanow.com