Worldwide 338,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, and it is predicted to become the second most common cause of cancer-related death in 2030. Pancreatic cancer is often caught in the late stages of the disease and is the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Early detection of the disease is complicated with the fact that it is often asymptomatic. Only about 15 percent of individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have the option to have it surgically resected. Eighty-five percent are left with no other option outside of palliative care. Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. Ninety-one percent of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years. Health disparities exist in the incidence of pancreatic cancer in the United States. African Americans have a 50-90 percent higher incidence of pancreatic cancer than other racial groups. African Americans also face disparities in treatment and are significantly less likely to see an oncologist compared to whites. The mechanisms behind this disparity are not well known.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force believes that routine pancreatic cancer screening is unnecessary despite the rise in pancreatic cancer cases. Routine screening would have saved my mother's life and may save mine as I am at an increased risk of developing the disease. We must advocate for a change in our health system. Those at higher risk for pancreatic cancer, like African Americans that aren't classified as high risk under the medical protocol, deserve to benefit from routine screenings of this deadly disease. Routine screenings are offered for other types of cancer and have been proven to save lives. Routine screenings for deadly diseases like pancreatic cancer are necessary, will save lives, and will save families from the agony of watching their loved ones suffer through this awful disease.