The Silent Assassin (pancreatic cancer)

Last week two more well known successful African-American men died within days of each other, NFL Hall of Fame player and executive Eugene “Gene” Upshaw (63) and actor Julius J. Carry III (56). Sadly both men were stricken with pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading killer in the United States which has taken the lives of over 34,000 Americans this year alone.

Eugene Upshaw, a prominent face of the NFL embodied the toughness of the league. An organization where triumph over adverse situations and the “never give up” creed is emphasized and ingrained into the players from the time they were toddlers.




Like the players that he vigorously represented, Gene was a man without many visible weaknesses if any; and his tough as nails persona was needed as he served as Executive Director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for 25 years after his stellar playing career ended.



"In both careers (as a player and NFLPA executive director), if you hit him in the head, he could hit you back twice as hard," Tagliabue said. "But he didn't always do so. He was very tough but also a good listener. He never lost sight of the interests of the game and the big picture."


Julius was a tough man that found his passion for acting early on in life. When he landed the memorable role of “Sho-Nuff” the Shogun of Harlem in Berry Gordy’s cult classic The Last Dragon, the character professed to be the “baddest mofo, lowdown around this town” and Julius mastered the role and persona on screen like no other man could.




However, his mother the Rev Helen Carry, said Mr. Carry was "really a gentle soul.” She saw his most memorable role as a morality play of good vs. evil. "There's something deep inside of people, and if they can grab a hold of that they have mastery over evil," she said.


Though both men were tough and had overcome many adversities in their lives to reach their successful plateaus, they were no match against the “silent assassin” pancreatic cancer. So, what is pancreatic cancer? Who’s at risk? What are the treatment options?


Pancreatic Cancer:

No one knows the exact causes of pancreatic cancer. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets pancreatic cancer and another does not. However, it is clear that this disease is not contagious. No one can "catch" cancer from another person.
Research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop pancreatic cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease.

Studies have found the following risk factors:
• Age -- The likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. Most pancreatic cancers occur in people over the age of 60.
• Smoking -- Cigarette smokers are two or three times more likely than nonsmokers to develop pancreatic cancer.
• Diabetes -- Pancreatic cancer occurs more often in people who have diabetes than in people who do not.
• Being male -- More men than women are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
• Being African American -- African Americans are more likely than Asians, Hispanics, or whites to get pancreatic cancer.
• Family history -- The risk for developing pancreatic cancer triples if a person's mother, father, sister, or brother had the disease. Also, a family history of colon or ovarian cancer increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Chronic pancreatitis -- Chronic pancreatitis is a painful condition of the pancreas. Some evidence suggests that chronic pancreatitis may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is sometimes called a "silent disease" because early pancreatic cancer often does not cause symptoms. But, as the cancer grows, symptoms may include:
• Pain in the upper abdomen or upper back
• Yellow skin and eyes, and dark urine from jaundice
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss

Other studies suggest that exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace or a diet high in fat may increase the chance of getting pancreatic cancer. Most people with known risk factors do not get pancreatic cancer. On the other hand, many who do get the disease have none of these factors. People who think they may be at risk for pancreatic cancer should discuss this concern with their doctor. The doctor may suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups.

The only real defense against this killer is early diagnosis and the key to your defense is maintaining a good relationship with your doctor.

For more information about pancreatic cancer go to: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/pancreatic