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PanCAN volunteer Matthew Rose with his mom, Estelle, who passed away from pancreatic cancer.
Matthew Rose lost his mother, Estelle, to pancreatic cancer in 2012. He lost his sister to ovarian cancer years before that. Both were BRCA2 positive.
Now the media chair for the Los Angeles Affiliate, Matthew volunteers with PanCAN in his mom and sister’s honor, spreading the word about the importance of genetic testing – he’s since tested negative for the mutation.
Thank you, Matthew, for creating a world where everyone affected by pancreatic cancer will thrive.
PanCAN: Tell us a little about yourself.
Matthew: My name is Matthew Rose, I produce unscripted television and I am the media chair for the Los Angeles Affiliate.
PanCAN: Your mom passed away from pancreatic cancer. Can you tell us a bit about her?
Matthew: A native Chicagoan, my mom, Estelle, was a mother of three and a grandmother of five. She started her own successful catering and party planning business in her 40s. She loved movies, TV and anything raspberry. A Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings was her favorite – and mine, too! Food was a big part of her life. It brought her such joy. She loved her family and would do anything for them. She had a wicked sense of humor. And she LOVED “Sex in the City.” She called the cast “her girls.”
She battled cancer three times in her life. First, breast cancer at 61 – which was caught early. Then ovarian cancer, stage III at 69. After going through surgery and chemo, she beat it and reached the four-year survivor milestone.
Sadly, soon after, she was diagnosed with stage II pancreatic cancer at 74. She experienced symptoms for months, which were attributed to the stress of my sister passing and just “general stomach issues.” My mom had the Whipple procedure, followed by chemo and another treatment. She fought the good fight and lived for four years when people thought she wouldn’t live more than six months. It wasn’t an easy four years, but she faced it with grace and courage. She passed away June 2012.
A native Chicagoan, Estelle Rose, was a mother of three and a grandmother of five.
Six months before my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, my sister, Susan, passed away. She was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer at 49. She fought for a year and half and died right before Christmas 2007.
PanCAN: You’re an advocate for early detection and genetic testing – why are they so important to you?
Matthew: Both my mom and sister were BRCA2 positive. My mom did not test for the gene until after she got ovarian cancer in 2003. My sister tested soon after. We didn’t have the vast knowledge we have today about testing – especially when it came to my mom for her first two cancers – but knowledge is power and other family members can now take control of their health and seek preventive measures to catch cancer early.
Out of fear, I was hesitant to test for the BRCA2 mutation for a while. After my mom passed, I finally did (twice actually) and tested negative for the mutation. It was a relief, but I wished I had tested when my mom was alive. She would have been so relieved because she worried about passing this gene on to her other children. Knowing is 100% better than stressing and not knowing.
PanCAN: What do you want people to know about pancreatic cancer?
Matthew: Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose and challenging to fight. Know your family history. Talk to your doctor about prevention. Get genetic testing. If you smoke, please quit. Exercise. Eat right.
PanCAN: Why did you decide to get involved with PanCAN?
Matthew: I got involved for my mom and sister. And for every person battling pancreatic cancer and their families.
PanCAN: What do you want people to know about PanCAN?
Matthew: I did not know about PanCAN when my mom was diagnosed. I wish I did. The resources it offers for patients, family and loved ones are tremendous. You can spend so much time going down a Google rabbit hole with this – or any – cancer. But PanCAN has the info you need. Just go directly to the source.
PanCAN: What would your mom say to you about what you’re doing to help patients and their loved ones?
Matthew: My mom would be so proud and touched. She believed that knowledge is power. Letting people know about this disease and the tools that are out there to fight and possibly prevent it – I can hear her saying, “Oh, Matthew. That’s so wonderful.”
PanCAN: PanCAN just celebrated its 25th anniversary. When you imagine the future for pancreatic cancer patients and their families in 25 years, what would you like it to look like?
Matthew: I would love for there to be a standard early detection method and for this disease to be both preventable and treatable. And for the survival rates to be much higher. We have made such strides in years since my mother’s passing, I know we will make even bigger ones over the next quarter century.
PanCAN: You’re helping raise money to improve patient outcomes. What would you say to other people who may want to support PanCAN?
Matthew: This is a wonderful organization. Not only the resources, but the sheer compassion and dedication from its volunteers and staff. I can’t speak highly enough about PanCAN. And I can’t imagine a world without them.
