Pancreatic cancer survivor urges importance of research, fundraising following Alex Trebek's death
Updated: 4:33 PM EST Nov 8, 2020
Gianna Caserta
The loss of Alex Trebek is a huge reminder that there is a lot of progress to be made in the fight against pancreatic cancer.The TV icon had been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer since announcing the news to his fans back in March 2019.Eric Borden spoke with WPBF when the Jeopardy host was first diagnosed, because he knows firsthand about the disease. He was diagnosed in June 2017."I was stage 2. I had whipple surgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore on Aug. 14, 2017. And so far, so good for me," said Borden. "We've really been hit hard lately by John Lewis, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and now Alex Trebek. I've personally lost two friends last month to pancreatic cancer."Borden calls himself one of the lucky ones. His cancer was found by accident."It's such a fickle and a difficult disease to treat and also to discover that we only have a 10% five-year survival rate. Fifty-seven thousand Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year; 44,000 of them won't last five years," said Borden.It's so lethal because it tends to be discovered at advanced stages. During the early stages, when it would be most treatable, there are usually no symptoms. It's why Borden said fundraising and awareness are so important, because currently there are no general screening tools or early detection test protocols.Borden said the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is holding a virtual fundraiser on Nov. 15."So that we can catch this disease early, and instead of a 10% survival rate, come up much higher than that into the 80's, 90's and hopefully with everyone grace we will hopefully eradicate this disease," said Borden.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. —
The loss of Alex Trebek is a huge reminder that there is a lot of progress to be made in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
The TV icon had been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer since announcing the news to his fans back in March 2019.
Eric Borden spoke with WPBF when the Jeopardy host was first diagnosed, because he knows firsthand about the disease. He was diagnosed in June 2017.
"I was stage 2. I had whipple surgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore on Aug. 14, 2017. And so far, so good for me," said Borden. "We've really been hit hard lately by John Lewis, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and now Alex Trebek. I've personally lost two friends last month to pancreatic cancer."
Borden calls himself one of the lucky ones. His cancer was found by accident.
"It's such a fickle and a difficult disease to treat and also to discover that we only have a 10% five-year survival rate. Fifty-seven thousand Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year; 44,000 of them won't last five years," said Borden.
It's so lethal because it tends to be discovered at advanced stages. During the early stages, when it would be most treatable, there are usually no symptoms.
It's why Borden said fundraising and awareness are so important, because currently there are no general screening tools or early detection test protocols.
Borden said the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is holding a virtual fundraiser on Nov. 15.
"So that we can catch this disease early, and instead of a 10% survival rate, come up much higher than that into the 80's, 90's and hopefully with everyone grace we will hopefully eradicate this disease," said Borden.