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A resolution recognizing November 2022 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
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WHEREAS, November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, an annual month-long opportunity to educate communities, shine a light on this disease, and emphasize the importance of early detection; and
WHEREAS, the pancreas has two main functions: it makes enzymes that help with digestion, and it makes hormones such as insulin, which controls how the body stores and uses glucose, the body's main source of energy; and
WHEREAS, there are two forms of pancreatic cancer: exocrine pancreatic cancer, which accounts for approximately 95% of all cases, and endocrine or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, also called islet cell tumors; and
WHEREAS, this year, The American Cancer Society estimates that 62,210 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 49,830 people will die from pancreatic cancer; and
WHEREAS, pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers, and it is currently the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the cause of most pancreatic cancer cases is unknown, but there is evidence that age, obesity, family history, smoking, diabetes, and chronic pancreatitis can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer; and
WHEREAS, symptoms of pancreatic cancer can often be vague and may at first appear to be associated with other less serious and more common conditions; and
WHEREAS, symptoms can include stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, mid-back pain, jaundice, indigestion, and new-onset diabetes; and
WHEREAS, early detection and preventative measures such as not smoking, staying at a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol can save lives; and
WHEREAS, pancreatic cancer is often described as a silent killer because an early detection test does not exist and there are few treatment options. A majority of patients are diagnosed at a late stage where survival rates fall to 3%; and
WHEREAS...
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