Fighting Back! Pancreatic cancer survivor raises $300,000 to research the deadly disease. David Sachs Senior Copy Editor spirit and entrepreneurial zest. The doctor dropped a suggestion that the businesswom- an form a foundation to fight the disease. or nearly a year, Sheila Sky So, while in the midst of recovering Kasselman of West Bloomfield from surgery, Kasselman created the Sky knew something was very, very Foundation (after her maiden name) and wrong, but no doctor could say just what. the wheels began turning. When a svelte, fit, energetic 67-year-old Her strategy is twofold. First, through woman — planning to retire from her busi- educational outreach, raise awareness of ness as a financial planner — feels chroni- pancreatic cancer among the public and cally nauseated and listless and loses 20 medical community. pounds, there had to be a medical reason. But her main focus is scientific research "I had a CAT scan — nothing showed — funding the development of a simple up:' she said. "Nobody was really looking blood test that will detect antibodies for for pancreatic cancer." pancreatic cancer and diagnose the dis- Eventually, her bile duct (which con- ease in its early, more treatable stage. nects the gall bladder and pancreas) col- In just a little more than three years, the lapsed, leading to the discovery of a tumor Sky Foundation has raised $300,000 and on her pancreas. given birth to a research project run col- "Cancer was a total shock because laboratively by three Midtown I was so innocent;' Kasselman said. Detroit giants — the Karmanos "I was this person who was healthy, Cancer Institute, Wayne State who exercised regularly and who ate University School of Medicine reasonably well. It never occurred to and Henry Ford Health System. me to be sick with cancer:' The team consists of Karmanos Kasselman was fortunate that researchers Michael Tainsky, Ph.D., her tumor was discovered in an and Stephen P. Dudas, Ph.D.; early state — stage 1 — before Silverman (now based in Sault Ste. Dr. Mic hael it spread to adjacent organs. She Marie); and M. Margaret French, Tainsk y underwent simultaneous chemo- R.N., a researcher at Henry Ford. therapy and radiation and then a The researchers have started complicated surgery. The recovery from collecting blood and tissue samples from the surgery took a year. hundreds of people who either have the All things considered, she was one of the cancer or are related to a patient who does. lucky ones. Because pancreatic cancer is dif- The lab, located at Karmanos, is studying ficult to diagnose, tumors discovered in later the samples, searching for an antibody stages result in only a few months' survival. indicating the immune system's response The key, then, is diagnosis at an early to a pancreatic tumor. stage. That's where Kasselman's unique qual- Tainsky, the Barbara and Fred Erb ities as a businesswoman came into play. endowed professor of cancer genetics at Her gastroenterologist, Dr. Aim Silverman, Karmanos and WSU, believes in a genetic then at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, link in some cases of pancreatic cancer. was well aware of her patient's fighting F Fighting Back on page 30 Sheila Sky Kasselman accepting the Patricia Milner Sachs Heart of Timothy Haun ert a Survivor award. Celebrating Cancer Survivors Every year, the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Survivorship University give the Patricia Milner Sachs Heart of a Survivor Award to a cancer sur- vivor who exemplifies compassion and devotion in helping others with cancer. The award is named after Karmanos social worker Pat Sachs, who lost her 11-year battle with melanoma in 2006. Sachs' legacy includes her role as founding dean of Survivorship University, a lec- ture program at Karmanos geared to Pat Sachs help educate those with cancer and their families. In addition to this year's awardee Sheila Sky Kasselman, 10 other can- cer survivors received recognition as nominees at the ceremony, and Pink Fund founder Molly MacDonald was keynote speaker. Alicia Smith of Channel 7 News was the host. Survivorship University has sched- uled a lecture on menopause and cancer treatment at 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at Karmanos' Weisberg Center, 31995 Northwestern Hwy., Farmington Hills, and Thursday, Nov.10, at Gilda's Club, 3517 Rochester Road Royal Oak. To register, call (800) 527-6266 or visit www.karmanos.org . — David Sachs WE'LL BE THERE TO HELP WHEN YOU NEED US 0141- services are 'tailored to each client, and weli woi R. with you to develop a personalized ptari for you and 'o r tamity member. 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