West Bloomfield, MI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/07/2014 --Just seven years from now, pancreas cancer is projected to become this country’s second-leading cancer killer moving from its current position in fourth. If the projections hold, pancreas cancer will bypass breast, prostate and colorectal cancers, ending up second only to lung cancer as the nation's deadliest cancer, yet it is still underfunded by the National Cancer Institute. Pancreas cancer symptoms are often vague and can include pain in the abdominal area or back, weight loss, jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, sudden-onset diabetes, and depression.

“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.” Hardly a day goes by that Kasselman is not on the phone, meeting with someone just diagnosed or supporting family members. Her life’s work and passion is to assist others in finding the right help and raising awareness and money for early detection research.

November is Pancreas Cancer Awareness month. Sky Foundation will use the opportunity to start the month with its 6th annual lunch taking place on Sunday, November 2nd, 12:00pm – 3:00pm at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan.

Sky Foundation, is dedicated to raising funds to advance research and increase awareness for the early detection and treatment of pancreas cancer. The foundation is funded entirely by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. Partnering with respected researchers throughout the country whose work concentrates on pancreas cancer, Sky Foundation has raised more than $650,000 to fund research for early pancreas cancer detection.

The first organizational meeting took place six years ago in Edwina Davis’s living room. “Sky Foundation does not focus on the statistics instead we fund research” states Davis, one of the original Sky Foundation board members. “It is imperative that we focus on the person and to do so we must raise the money for research that will produce an early detection method. Early detection increases the chances of treatment and longer life and that is what will make the statistics change.”

About Sky Foundation
Sky Foundation has awarded a seed grant to the Pancreatic Cancer Center at the University of Michigan, one of our several research partners. 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 lunch November 2nd, 12:00pm-3:00pm at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.

For more information or tickets contact Sky Foundation, at http://skyfoundationinc.org/ or 248-385-5143 or by email sheilakasselman@skyfoundationinc.org