Campaign for Cancer Prevention Bulletin

Two groups have teamed up to advocate for greater funding for hepatitis to prevent liver cancer, according to Dr. Eric Ding who started a Facebook group for the cause.

"The Hepatitis B virus is second only to tobacco as a leading cause of cancer," states the web page.

The cause is endorsed by Nobel Prize Laureate Baruch Blumberg MD PhD, inventor of the HBV vaccine, and the Campaign for Cancer Prevention and Liver Cancer Free.

You can sign an e petition to Congress and the World Health Organization (WHO) called "Stop Cancer Causing Hepatitis" to demand prevention and treatment funding at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/352?m=5c2de66e&recruiter_id=1768.

To send a letter to Congress and learn more about Liver Cancer Free Campaign, go to livercancerfree.org.

In unrelated cancer news, according to the latest Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Outreach Magazine, Jason Kuhn, board chair was quoted as saying: "By bolstering our ranks even more, I know we can continue to advance progress and bring hope to all of those touched by this leading cancer killer."

Research shows that mutations in the K gene occur in more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancers, making it a popular target for potential therapies. Currently, no biomarkers for early detection or drug efficacy exist for pancreatic cancer, the magazine states.

"As a four-year survivor of pancreatic cancer and a member of the board of directors of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, I fully understand the urgency of funding research on the disease," states Laurie MacCaskill.

The network states that this year's Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. is a critical year for volunteer attendance.

"Passing federal legislation requires persistence and hard work," a press release reads. "The most important way that we can build support for this legislation is for U.S. senators and representatives to hear how this disease impacts those in their districts."

Register online and learn more at pancan.org/Advocacy Day.

Early registration is strongly encouraged since space is limited for the event to be held June 21 and 22nd.

"When I turned 50 in 2004 I decided it was time to start doing a better job of monitoring my health," says pancreatic cancer survivor Scott Woodbury of Minnesota. "What followed was a dizzying araay of tests and consultations."

Woodbury went through clinical trials, a Whipple procedure, chemotherapy, and receiving nothing but negative information he gathered regarding his diagnosis, he writes.

Now he is cancer free and does volunteer work with the Network and two pancreatic cancer research facilities.