Pancreatic cancer SUCKS.

While there have been enormous strides made in cancer in recent decades, the dreaded pancreatic variety still eludes effective treatment.  It tends to take you out, and fast. 

Patrick Swayze is just the latest famous person to get caught by this insidious malady. 

Others include film director Hal Ashby (Coming Home, Being There), Count Basie, Alan Bates, Jack Benny, Patrick Dennis (author of Auntie Mame), Ralph Ellison, Dizzy Gillespie, Fred Gwynne, Rex Harrison, Frank Herbert (author of Dune), comedian Bill Hicks, Fiorello LaGuardia, painter Rene Magritte, Henry Mancini, Margaret Mead, and, of course, Michael Landon.

It’s called “the silent killer” because it generally presents no symptoms until it’s too late for effective treatment.

I’ve actually met one survivor of this vicious disease, which is encouraging, because before I met her I didn’t realize there were pancreatic cancer survivors.

I certainly hope treatments and/or early detection techniques for this disease start to improve soon.