November is observed as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and its purpose is to raise public awareness about the dangers of pancreatic cancer. This cancer has the lowest survival rate of any other type of cancer, with just 3-6% of those diagnosed surviving beyond five years.

In 2022 alone, over 62,000 Americans were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and almost 50,000 people died from the disease. That’s why it’s important for people to take this observance month seriously and educate themselves about pancreatic cancer. This month is also a time when people can raise money for pancreatic cancer research, so that maybe one day a cure will be discovered.

The History of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

At this time, we’re unable to uncover who initiated Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. We’ll continue to try to track down the origins of this observance, but at the moment, it seems like we’re not going to find out much more about it. So, we’ll change gears and instead talk about some of the facts that we have learned about pancreatic cancer in the following section.

Important Facts About Pancreatic Cancer

Below are some facts about pancreatic cancer that we unearthed while researching Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month on the Internet. We think the following facts are important for people to know as they observe this month.

• Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, after only lung and colon cancer.
• Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include abdominal discomfort, back pain, and weight loss.
• More than 9 out of 10 cases of pancreatic cancer are pancreatic adenocarcinomas, which develop in the exocrine tissues of the pancreas.
• There are no early detection methods for pancreatic cancer.
• If pancreatic cancer is caught early, the patient may be eligible for surgery. This is the best chance of controlling the disease.
• About 7% of pancreatic tumors are neuroendocrine tumors. These grow more slowly than exocrine tumors.
• About 10% of pancreatic cancer cases are considered to be hereditary.

Observing Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month can be observed simply by wearing purple during this month, although we urge people to do more than just that. This is the perfect month for people to educate themselves about pancreatic cancer, organize a fundraiser for organizations that support or research a cure for pancreatic cancer, or even volunteer for one of these organizations. People should also use the hashtag #PancreaticCancerAwarenessMonth to spread the word about this observance month.