November is pancreatic cancer awareness month as survivors and advocates highlight the disease. It accounts for 3 percent of all cancer diagnoses in the U.S. and at least 7 percent of all cancer deaths. That’s according to the American Cancer Society. In Massachusetts, bipartisan legislation could pave the way for more support and screening.
Katie Torrence says something started to feel “off” in 2020.
With hard-to-describe symptoms and negative COVID tests, a virtual appointment with her doctor led to blood work, which led to a specialist. A mass was discovered and with it came a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Torrence shared her story during a special legislative briefing hosted by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
“I knew that pancreatic cancer was deadly, but I had no idea how deadly until I was faced with a 3 percent survival rate that I found,” she said to those gathered for the virtual event.
In Massachusetts, the American Cancer Society estimates some 1,140 deaths will be linked to cancer of the pancreas in 2024 – which experts say has a 5-year survival rate of 13 percent.
“My first appointment with my PCP was July 29. I was diagnosed on August 11. I started chemo on September 3 - that's just 23 days from diagnosis to the start of treatment,” Torrence said. “Every cancer patient deserves that timeline. With such a deadly disease, there is no time to waste.”
Paving the way for faster action is part of the focus of bipartisan legislation supported by state lawmakers like 11th Worcester State Representative Hannah Kane.
“A brief overview on the legislation includes the fact that it would establish a comprehensive pancreatic cancer initiative to provide coordinated pancreatic cancer prevention, screening, education and support programs in Massachusetts,” the Republican said. “It's not a one-off looking at something: it's a continuation of ensuring we're doing all we can.”
According to lawmakers like Kane and Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester Senator Jo Comerford, linked Senate and House bills look to create both an initiative and a “Pancreatic Cancer Advisory Council” within the Department of Public Health.
The 13-member council would involve experts developing a statewide education and community outreach program.
It would also direct the Commissioner of Insurance to survey state health insurers to ascertain coverage benefits of genetic testing for pancreatic cancer across health insurance plans and present the findings to relevant legislative committees.
“These bills would direct the Center for Health Information Analysis to conduct a review and update of its mandated benefit review of pancreatic cancer screenings, including an update on the cost analysis for pancreatic cancer screening for high-risk individuals,” Kane added.
Another proponent of the bill is Carmine Gentile of the 13th Middlesex district. Having previously filed one of the bills, the Democrat says cancer touches virtually every family at one time or another.
“My own family's experience with pancreatic cancer motivated me to file this bill,” he said. “My parents both passed from it several decades apart, each of them suffering for six months or less. We know that pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of only 10% and over 70% of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first year of diagnosis, as my parents did.”
Both bills were originally filed in early 2023, advancing somewhat this year before stalling. The bills will be refiled next session, with no major changes anticipated, according to Comerford.
She says supporters can anticipate a fresh push for the legislation, including a drive to secure more co-sponsors.
“We know that the way the government works, and especially the way the legislature works, is when constituents, when legislators make their voices known,” Comerford said. “We are a representative body, and that is how we are most powerful. So, I'm very heartened by the turnout for today's briefing, and I think this is just what we need to power us forward. There are many offices represented, many legislators here who have already signed on to this bill. We're going to need all of us to say ‘this is a priority’ coming into this next legislative session to get done.”
