The recent death of Patrick Swayze raised much media attention and discussion of a little known and very deadly cancer: pancreatic.  For me, it also brought back bad memories.

My good friend, Jim, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of 2007.  Unfortunately, he did not survive long, and lost his battle 2 months later. I felt such grief and compassion upon learning of Mr. Swayze's death.  I wondered if he suffered the extreme pain that Jim did, and how his family might be coping with the loss.  Pancreatic cancer is something I would not wish on my worst enemy.

About 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year.  Sadly, the survival rate is extremely low.  According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the survival rate at one year after diagnosis is 25%, and at 5 years only 5%.  Although an exact cause remains unknown, current research supports the biggest contributors are obesity, diabetes, and smoking.  The American Cancer Society identifies smoking as the most important avoidable risk factor, and is responsible for 20% to 30% of all pancreatic cancers.  Smokeless tobacco users are not off the hook either; they too are more likely to get pancreatic cancer.

Although there are no guarantees in life, it makes sense to do what we can to prevent serious illnesses.  Why would we add to the risk of developing something like pancreatic cancer by continuing to smoke or be overweight?  (People continue such self-destructive behavior, in part, because they do not know how to change. As a recognized leader in the field of health behavior change, Free & Clear helps people reduce their risk for chronic disease, through the Quit For Life and Mind & Body Programs).

Jim made a tremendously positive impact on my life and I will never forget him.  I will never know if Jim's death was inevitable, or if his health suffered because he might have smoked, overate, or did not monitor a health condition like diabetes.  We cannot go through life worrying about getting cancer.  All that does is add more stress, which none of us need.  We also cannot change our genetic predisposition for certain health conditions. What we can do, however, is take better care of ourselves.  The better we take care of ourselves now, the more likely we are to experience longevity and quality of life (and hopefully live cancer free!).

For me, I will continue to take care of myself and enjoy this precious life.  What about you?