BACKGROUND
Recently, we have learned about an incredible individual that is sweeping the interest of thousands of people across the country thanks to the power of the internet. Randy Pausch is a former professor for Carnegie Mellon who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Having recently lost Gordon Watters to pancreatic cancer, we were cautious to watch this video. After having done so, it has been truly inspiring. Randy Pausch is an energetic force and the perfect front-man to bring attention to increased research regarding this aggressive type of cancer.

Watch the video below to be inspired, and don't worry - it is anything but a "woe is me" video.

To follow the current activities of Randy and his family, visit his webpage here.

THE LAST LECTURE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
After Dr. Pausch's lecture to Carnegie Mellon, there was a time for acknowledgments and thanks from his colleagues. It is an emotional tribute to someone who has had a great impact on those around him - and around the world.

UPDATE
Randy Pausch spoke before Congress on March 13, 2008 to promote more funding for pancreatic cancer research. See a news clip from CBS here. According to Randy, "I think it went pretty well; the staffers tell me that when the congresspeople put down their blackberries and listen, it's a very good sign, and that certainly happened."

You can watch the full video in our "Videos" section.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Learn more about pancreatic cancer and help promote research to study this aggressive disease.

PANCREATIC CANCER NETWORK
The Pancreatic Cancer Network, Inc. (PanCAN) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is the first national patient-based advocacy organization to focus on pancreatic cancer. In 1998, a handful of then-strangers found each other in an Internet chat room for people who had lost loved ones to pancreatic cancer. Tied together by a special bond, these strangers shared an aching awareness of the desperate need to focus national attention on pancreatic cancer. They agreed that it was time to educate the public and take action.

In February 1999, PanCAN was chartered as a non-profit California organization. PanCAN opened its first national office in Torrance, CA in 2000 and moved to El Segundo, CA three years later. The 12-member board of directors, nine-member Scientific Advisory Board and a nationwide volunteer staff are integral to the organization's activities and successes. Ten employees staff the national office and there is a Federal Affairs Director in Washington, D.C.

PanCAN works to focus national attention on the need to find a cure for pancreatic cancer. It provides public and professional education embracing the urgent need for more research, effective treatments, prevention programs, and early detection methods.

THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION FOR PANCREATIC RESEARCH
The mission of The Lustgarten Foundation is to advance the scientific and medical research related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of pancreatic cancer by:

• Increasing funding and support of research into the biological mechanisms and clinical strategies related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract with primary emphasis on adenocarcinoma of the pancreas;
• Facilitating and enhancing the dialog among members of the medical and scientific communities about basic and clinical research efforts that relate to pancreatic cancer;
• Advocating an increase in the annual budget of the National Cancer Institute with emphasis on research related to pancreatic cancer; and
• Heightening the public's awareness of pancreatic cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and providing informational support for pancreatic cancer patients, their families, and friends.