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West Bloomfield, MI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/23/2014 --November is Pancreas Cancer Awareness month. Sky Foundation Inc. will use the opportunity to start the month with its annual lunch taking place on Sunday, November 2nd, 12:00pm – 3:00pm at The Townsend Hotel. Sky Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to raising funds to advance research and increase awareness for the early detection and treatment of pancreas cancer.

In 2020, pancreas cancer is projected to become this country’s second-leading cancer killer, surpassed only by lung cancer and claiming 48,000 lives a year. Pancreas cancer is at number four today and will climb in the ranking partly by becoming more common, but mostly because it is ferociously difficult to detect and treat.

“The dramatic increase in the anticipated number of deaths is a wake-up call to the research and health-care systems,” said Sheila Kasselman pancreas cancer survivor and Founder of Sky Foundation, Inc. “We focus on the person, and our goal is to empower and bring hope to those affected by the disease.”

Many symptoms of pancreas cancer are vague and could be attributed to many different conditions. Symptoms can include abdominal and back pain, weight loss, and jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, sudden-onset diabetes, and depression. With pancreas cancer, recognizing even subtle changes in the body is critical, as is awareness of family history. Sky Foundation recommends genetic counseling as one important step in prevention for individuals who have first-tier relatives (parent or sibling) or two or more second-tier relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) with a history of pancreas cancer. Many health facilities in the metropolitan Detroit area have cancer genetics programs, including the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Henry Ford Health System, Beaumont Hospital, and the University of Michigan. Awareness of family history and changes in your body are critical to your well-being.

Sky Foundation has awarded a grant to the Pancreatic Cancer Center at the University of Michigan.

About Dr. Diane Simeone
Dr. Diane Simeone, Director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at the University of Michigan will be the featured guest speaker along with Dr. Philip Philip from the Karmanos Cancer Institute at the 6th annual Sky Foundation Inc. Sky Bistro lunch November 2nd, 12:00pm-3:00pm at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.

For more information or tickets http://skyfoundationinc.org/ 248-385-5143 or sheilakasselman@skyfoundation.org