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PanCAN Five-Year Action Plan
July 2025 - June 2030
PanCAN is at the center of a vibrant, diverse community that has been the catalyst for every moment of extraordinary progress realized for this disease.
Now, more than ever, the pancreatic cancer community is looking to PanCAN for leadership and direction.
We have set bold goals to accelerate progress by 2030 for all patients with pancreatic cancer.
Drive the five-year survival rate to 20%
We must drive progress forward for patients. We’re building a future where early detection, precision treatments and equitable access fundamentally change what it means to live with pancreatic cancer. For far too long, pancreatic cancer has had the lowest survival rate of all major cancers. We’re at the tipping point of changing the story of this disease.
Raise $60 Million
We must make a bold, strategic commitment to transform the trajectory of this disease. This will fuel comprehensive initiatives – from accelerating early detection methods and advancing new treatment options, to improving disease management and safeguarding critical federal research funding. By amplifying the awareness of the urgent need, we will mobilize greater support and increase our power to drive lasting impact for patients.
Raise awareness of PanCAN to 30%
No other organization supports patients with pancreatic cancer and their caregivers like we do — we must ensure more people know about and have access to our essential resources and vibrant community. We must educate the public, media and lawmakers to know about pancreatic cancer, the risk factors and symptoms and to understand the sense of urgency needed to accelerate progress. We must inspire more people to raise their hands and take action on behalf of the pancreatic cancer community.
Bold goals demand staunch support to sustain the growth and development that are essential to achieving our vision. Your support ensures we can meet the challenges our community is facing. Together, we have always been a champion for the scientific and medical community who are driving advances in the field and a lifeline for those who are facing pancreatic cancer today and in the future.
What We're Facing
Meeting the Needs of Everyone Impacted by Pancreatic Cancer
Each year, incidence rates are rising. By 2030, pancreatic cancer will be the second deadliest cancer in the United States. We must reach more people and be the voice and resource for underserved communities and those facing barriers to care. PanCAN will use its expansive reach to raise awareness and provide access to the right tools and treatments, connecting to our care navigators and broad community of supporters and survivors.
No one should face this disease alone.
Protecting the Pancreatic Cancer Research Community
Nearly 80% of all pancreatic cancer research funding comes from the federal government. Recent cuts in federal funding will mean fewer options for patients, less scientific advancement, and the potential loss of an entire generation of researchers studying this disease. We are the uniting voice for thousands of grassroots advocates urging Congress to restore that funding.
We must ensure that scientists have sustained resources to continue to drive progress and improve outcomes for patients.
Urgent Need to Develop More Effective Treatments and Earlier Detection
More than 50% of patients are diagnosed at stage IV when their pancreatic cancer has spread. Now is the time to intensify our collaborative efforts and investment in earlier detection strategies so that fewer people are diagnosed with metastatic disease. And for those whose disease is in a more advanced stage or who have a recurrence, we need better therapies. The pancreatic cancer research community is on the verge of significant breakthroughs. Promising clinical trials, earlier detection tools and advances targeting mutations in the KRAS gene, present in over 90% of the most common type of pancreatic cancer, are on the horizon.
We must continue to accelerate progress.
Our Path Forward
In 1999, PanCAN took on the world's toughest cancer. It was a daunting task, but we were up to the challenge. Now, like never before, PanCAN's decisive leadership will galvanize the entire pancreatic cancer community as we face the current challenges to progress. Our core strength — our comprehensive approach — will provide the foundation as we navigate the path directly in front of us today and toward 20% five-year survival by 2030.
Strategic Drivers
Accelerate Patient Progress
Advancing research priorities and empowering patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals
Grow and Mobilize a Community of Action
Increasing awareness, engagement and resources
Cultivate a Workplace to Inspire Transformational Impact
Creating an environment that enables excellence
Accelerate Patient Progress Strategic Objective #1: Growing, Assembling and Transforming the Field
Build a thriving pancreatic cancer research community by convening, supporting and advocating for stakeholders committed to advancing progress for patients.
Protect and Increase Funding
Secure critical federal resources for pancreatic cancer research by mobilizing our community to raise their voices and advocate.
Expand the field of pancreatic cancer researchers through the PanCAN Career Development Program by funding junior investigators and growing our Community for Progress.
Fund research grants focused on the advancement of early detection strategies and new therapeutics.
Strengthen the Community
Convene the PanCAN Research Advisory Collaborative — the field's leading experts across healthcare, pharma and biotech, government and patient advocacy — to build relationships, foster collaboration and drive meaningful impact across the research landscape.
Provide Continuing Medical Education for healthcare professionals to expand knowledge of pancreatic cancer best practices.
Ensure patients and physicians in underserved regions are aware of PanCAN and have access to PanCAN Patient Services' resources to inform treatment decisions and optimize outcomes.
Lead and Accelerate Progress
Through the PanCAN Research Advisory Collaborative, share PanCAN patient experience and learnings from PanCAN initiatives to provide leadership and strategic direction to the field to accelerate progress.
Provide academic investigators with free access to PanCAN's pancreatic cancer data via the PanCAN SPARK Data Platform.
Publish PanCAN research projects to further learnings in the field and generate consensus white papers on key topics.
What Success Looks Like:
A thriving research ecosystem with a robust pipeline of investigators dedicated to pancreatic cancer — fueled by growing public and private investment, including PanCAN's own grants. Across institutions and disciplines, a vibrant, collaborative scientific community is united by one shared goal: accelerating progress for patients.
When my mom was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer last year, it felt like no one cared. I'd been through terminal cancer with family before — but this time, it really felt like her medical team gave up before we even began.
Her team suggested I call PanCAN. It was the only lifeline we got.
They connected us to clinical trials, walked us through tumor biopsy shipping, linked us to support groups, helped with wigs, gave us resources for caregivers… PanCAN was literally the only place that didn't make us feel like this was the end.
Niki Persia Sabetfakhri
Accelerate Patient Progress Strategic Objective #2: Empowering Patients
Empower all patients and families to make informed decisions throughout their pancreatic cancer journey by providing comprehensive information and resources through PanCAN Patient Services.
Connect with More People
Expand outreach about PanCAN Patient Services to all patients, families and healthcare professionals, including underserved populations, to ensure every contact is connected to our highly trained Case Managers and can navigate the Right Track – the right specialist, the right treatment, the right tests.
Leverage new technologies to scale PanCAN Patient Services operations, improve service delivery and ensure Case Managers are equipped with best-in-class tools to meet growing patient demands.
Enhance Resources
Build a next-generation resource hub that interfaces with PanCAN Patient Services to connect patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals to our Know Your Tumor program, Clinical Trial Finder, advanced navigation, specialist database, and educational materials.
Leverage strategic partnerships with other patient-facing organizations to augment PanCAN patient-focused programs and services.
What Success Looks Like:
Every patient with pancreatic cancer is empowered to make informed decisions to get to the right specialist and receive the right treatment. Biomarker and genetic testing are routine, unlocking personalized treatments and opening the door to more clinical trial opportunities. Patients have greater control over their care and outcomes are improved.
Accelerate Patient Progress Strategic Objective #3: Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Earlier
Drive earlier detection of pancreatic cancer by supporting and implementing strategies that advance research and educate the public and healthcare professionals.
Accelerate Research
Develop guidelines for implementing an early detection screening strategy based on data from more than 8,800 patients being monitored through the PanCAN Early Detection Initiative — a study focused on individuals with new-onset diabetes, the most significant non-genetic risk factor currently identified for pancreatic cancer.
Invest in promising early detection research to identify individuals at elevated risk for the disease and pilot new screening strategies to move the pancreatic cancer diagnostic field forward with greater urgency.
Lead a national government advocacy effort to secure and enshrine federal reimbursement for earlier detection strategies.
Raise Awareness
Create year-round educational initiatives and national awareness campaigns to bring attention to pancreatic cancer risks and symptoms and promote PanCAN resources.
Provide information and resources to patients and families about surveillance programs, tests and genetic counseling so individuals understand their risk of pancreatic cancer and how to monitor it.
What Success Looks Like:
Pancreatic cancer is no longer a late-stage diagnosis. With early detection strategies integrated into the healthcare system and a public educated to recognize the risks and symptoms, more patients are diagnosed sooner — when more effective treatment options are available and the chance for better outcomes is real.
Accelerate Patient Progress Strategic Objective #4: New Therapeutic Options
Catalyze the discovery and development of new therapeutic options for patients by strategically deploying PanCAN resources and serving as the convener across stakeholders in the pancreatic cancer ecosystem.
Partner and Convene
Serve as the patient advocacy partner for the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research IMPACT PDAC platform trial by harnessing learnings from PanCAN Precision PromiseSM and the expertise of the PanCAN clinical trial consortium to accelerate development and delivery of new therapies to patients.
Convene the PanCAN Research Advisory Collaborative to connect key opinion leaders, drug developers and patients to accelerate treatment development.
Enhance Research Access
Provide investigators with unprecedented access to tumor samples, pathology images, blood samples, radiology images and data from PanCAN Precision Promise for correlative and exploratory research to accelerate learnings and drive new drug discovery.
Provide clinical trial sponsors and pharmaceutical partners with the patient experience to ensure trial design and drug development meet the needs of patients with pancreatic cancer — including more inclusive eligibility criteria, reducing burdens for participation and drug formulation considerations.
What Success Looks Like:
More patients — from all backgrounds — have access to cutting-edge clinical trials that offer new hope and better treatment options. Treatment development is accelerated, delivering more approved and effective therapies to all patients with pancreatic cancer.
Accelerate Patient Progress Strategic Objective #5: Leverage Data and Artificial Intelligence
Harness the power of data and AI to accelerate research and new patient solutions for pancreatic cancer. The emergence of AI enables PanCAN researchers to make predictive connections across large amounts of disparate data at a scale never before possible.
Partner and Collaborate
Centralize PanCAN's de-identified patient data within the PanCAN SPARK Data Platform for open sharing and collaboration across research, academia and the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Establish AI partnerships to analyze data across the discovery, translational, clinical development and care spectrum to identify new biomarkers, therapies and clinical tools.
Leverage PanCAN Data
Provide molecular data from flagship initiatives PanCAN Know Your Tumor® and PanCAN Precision Promise to researchers for analysis for target discovery and drug discovery.
Share pathology images from the PanCAN data ecosystem to identify how a patient's cancer might behave or respond to treatment.
Make de-identified clinical data available to drug developers to augment and accelerate development of novel therapies.
What Success Looks Like:
Data silos historically protected by academia and the pharmaceutical industry are a thing of the past, enabling open sharing for investigators across the spectrum of pancreatic cancer research accelerated by the speed, efficiency and scale of artificial intelligence.
When I met with others from the PanCAN community, they were always willing to share ideas and tips from their regions.
It's nice to know that PanCAN is in so many different places, and there would always be a community that would be supportive and welcoming to me.
Emma Huckins, 2024 Mission Chair, Pittsburgh Affiliate
Grow and Mobilize a Community of Action
Our nationwide force of volunteers, supporters and partners are the backbone of our community. More than ever, we must inspire even more people — fueling connection, sparking engagement and mobilizing action.
Community Cultivation and Stewardship
Grow, deepen and diversify funding and engagement through community building and strategic alliances to drive vision funding and partnerships, and ensure an immersive community member experience.
Expand outreach and awareness of PanCAN and our community to ensure no patient is left behind.
Engagement and Outreach
Empower volunteers as leaders in the fight against pancreatic cancer by developing leadership skills, deepening relationships and fostering community.
Continue to build and activate a nationwide grassroots army to advocate, educate and raise awareness to accelerate patient progress.
What Success Looks Like:
An extensive funding pipeline of committed individuals and organizations dedicated to accelerating progress for patients, caregivers and families. A broad and diverse community of survivors, advocates, family members, caregivers, business and institutional leaders ready to take action, volunteer and amplify PanCAN's message in all 50 states.
Cultivate a Workplace to Inspire Transformational Impact
An unshakable foundation is vital to the success of our strategic priorities.
Team
Foster a thriving and dynamic culture where people are empowered and inspired to do their best work to fuel scalable growth and mission success.
Best-in-Class Tools
Elevate our technological systems and harness AI to enhance operational efficiency, improve decision-making, advance communication and catalyze innovation to drive greater impact.
Strengthen PanCAN's infrastructure through continuous improvement, risk mitigation, transformational program management and data optimization.
What Success Looks Like:
A diverse team of collaborative, energized and creative industry leaders built on respect and accountability, driven to exceed expectations, be bold and deliver transformational outcomes for our community and mission.
We are on the path forward. Accelerating patient progress. Growing and mobilizing a community of action. Cultivating a workplace to inspire transformational impact.
We won't let pancreatic cancer stop us.
While any cancer diagnosis threatens to rob us of our agency, with pancreatic cancer, we've been told to let it.
We've been told that the statistics tell the story. And it's one with few happy endings.
But there is so much more to our story.
When we look beyond the percentages, we find hope and hard work and meaning. There is life-changing, history-making, progress.
And for those who've lost someone they love, there is community, comfort and support.
This is the story that we tell — as one. And in every new chapter, we build our movement.
Because pancreatic cancer wants us to accept that we can't.
But we dare to believe, to dream, to remember that together, we can and we will!
PanCAN will continue to be a lifeline for those who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Together, we will demand more, do more, deliver more, for every individual touched by this disease today and all those who will face it tomorrow.
