Critical Legislation for Pancreatic Cancer Research  

The Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act 

Key facts that every policymaker should know: 

• Pancreatic cancer is one of the DEADLIEST CANCERS.
• It is the ONLY major cancer with a five-year survival rate still in the SINGLE DIGITS AT JUST 6%.
• Pancreatic cancer is the only one of the current top five cancer killers for which both the incidence rate and death rate have increased in recent years.
• Pancreatic cancer is expected to move from the fourth to the second leading cause of cancer death by 2020, possibly as early as 2015.

Pancreatic Cancer Bill Becomes Law!

Currently, pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of just six percent - the lowest among all major cancer killers. This year alone, more than 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed and over 37,000 Americans will succumb to pancreatic cancer. And according to a report recently released by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, based on the changing demographics of the U.S. population and changes in the incidence rate and death rate, the number of new cases of pancreatic cancer will increase more than two-fold and the number of deaths will increase by 2.4-fold by the year 2030.

These dire statistics call for aggressive measures to develop early detection tools and effective treatment options.  We need a battle plan to attack pancreatic cancer and thanks to congress, we are now on our way to getting a national battle plan to attack the disease.

President Obama has signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act. This bill, formerly known as the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act, will require the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to convene working groups to develop scientific frameworks focused on studying specific recalcitrant, or deadly, cancers, starting with pancreatic cancer.  The frameworks will identify promising scientific advances, assess the sufficiency of qualified researchers working in relevant specialties, outline a plan to coordinate research, and include recommendations to advance research, including appropriate benchmarks for measuring progress.  The legislation is a measured and balanced approach that complements ongoing research efforts at the NCI.

Click here to read our press release on the historic passage of the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act.

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