Re : the Big C

[Guest guest]

Hi Anyse,

I've just read your last post. I have read a lot of Dr Whitcomb's

stuff.

I am 59 and have long-standing HP. I was 5 when I had my first attack

although the disease was not diagnosed until I was 57! (I also have

coeliac disease which was diagnosed in 1988 so that delayed further

the full, correct diagnosis of pancreatitis.) My mother died in 1965

of acute pancreatitis (no cancer, if the absolute and repeated

reassurances of the docs at the time can be trusted)after many years

of dreadful CP (the treatments then being even less sophisticated and

effective than they are today).

I am a patient at the Royal Liverpool Hospital here in the UK. You may

be interested to know that Europac, a long-term European project,

coordinated by the pancreatic team in Liverpool, and researching

hereditary pancreatic diseases, is currently carrying out a study on

monitoring for pre-cancer-markers in high-risk patients. I am taking

part in the study. Pancreatic juices are extracted during ERCP and

then analysed for certain cell mutations, K-ras, P53 and P16. EUS is

also used regularly with these patients as well as more occasional CT

scans.

I don't know details but I'm certain that similar work is being done

by Dr Whitcomb and his team, and/or others in the USA. As my husband

has had recent treatment for prostate cancer, I am a little out of

touch with the scene at the moment with regard to this research in the

USA. The Europac coordinator here did give me some net links about a

year ago to look at what is going in the USA on this front. Europac's

current study is picking up on this work as well.

I do know that real progress has been made by Europac even over the

two years since my own diagnosis. 2004-5 saw significant developments

according to my pancreatologist, Professor Neoptolemos, who leads

the pancreatic team in Liverpool.

Just thought this might be of interest to you and possibly others as

well. Of course, we want to get to the stage where patients can be

screened for pancreatic cancer at an early stage, as they can be for

many other different types of cancer.

With good wishes,

Fliss (UK)