Chicagoland-based Foundation's Tools Help Drive Holiday Family Health Discussions

This holiday season make it a point when visiting family to have vital talks about family health history. Using online tools created by the Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation can help guide these discussions, centered on two key steps: knowing your family and knowing your risk.

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., with a five-year survival rate of only seven percent - the worst of all major cancers. Sadly, the timeframe from diagnosis to death is often very short with little warning. However, early detection can significantly impact survival rates for this deadly disease, and while there is still a drastic need for an early detection test, it's vital for families to know their health histories to assess their risk for pancreatic cancer by using these online tools.

STEP 1: Know Your Family - Family medical history plays an important role in the early detection of pancreatic cancer. The "Know Your Family" tool will help individuals determine their risk by walking through family histories with an easy-to-use, helpful worksheet. Before heading home for the holidays, families can download and print out the "Know Your Family" worksheet at www.KnowMyRisk.org.

"Understanding family background is a crucial step toward determining risk for pancreatic cancer and beginning the early detection path," said Jim Rolfe, president of the board of directors for the Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. "This holiday season, we encourage families to sit down together and talk through our "Know Your Family" worksheet."

STEP 2: Know Your Risk - If there is a pattern of pancreatic cancer in an individual's family, he or she may have a higher risk of being diagnosed in the future. The next step on the path to early detection is to "Know Your Risk." To do so, consider using the one-step tool at www.KnowMyRisk.org to find a local certified genetic counselor.

"Those with a history of pancreatic cancer in the immediate family must begin the path to early detection by talking to a doctor or genetic counselor," said Rolfe. "We hope families have these important health discussions while gathering throughout the holiday season."