Kelly's Heroes: Fighting Pancreatic Cancer

Kelly's Heroes: Fighting Pancreatic Cancer Kelly's Heroes is a 501(c)(3) that raises funds for cancer research, inspired by Steve Kelly, who never stopped waging hope against pancreatic cancer.

Kelly’s Heroes is a 501c(3) inspired by Steve Kelly, a terrific husband, proud dad, big-time sports fan and a talented editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Steve was 53 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a disease that kills 73 percent of its victims within the first year. Steve fought the battle through two clinical trials, volunteering to be part of the medical research that h

e truly believed would provide a breakthrough in treating this horrible disease. “Why not me?” he used to say as he endured his six-hour weekly chemo treatments. Pancreatic cancer is often called the “silent killer” because there’s no reliable screening test for the disease and its elusive symptoms often aren’t apparent until the disease has spread. The statistics are sobering:
• Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and is anticipated to become the second by 2020.
• Pancreatic cancer is one of the nation’s deadliest cancers with a five-year relative survival rate of just 6 percent.
• In 2014, an estimated 46,420 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States, and approximately 39,590 will die from the disease. Steve died 22 months after his diagnosis. In those 22 months, he white-water rafted and ziplined in Costa Rica; ran a 5K with his daughter; and donned his kilt and poured the Guinness at his annual St. Patrick’s Day bash. Writing for the Inquirer, Steve said, “I’m not afraid of dying, but the thought of not living frightens the hell out of me.” Kelly’s Heroes is committed to celebrating Steve’s life by gathering good people together, raising funds for cancer research and waging hope against this terrible disease.

Today, on National Cancer Survivors Day, we celebrate the warriors. They inspire our work to ensure that more patients c...
06/07/2026

Today, on National Cancer Survivors Day, we celebrate the warriors. They inspire our work to ensure that more patients can live their lives - cancer be damned.

It’s being hailed as a “transformative” advance in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. A new drug called daraxonrasib do...
06/02/2026

It’s being hailed as a “transformative” advance in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. A new drug called daraxonrasib doubled the survival of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer compared to chemotherapy - without all the toxic side effects of chemo. This could be huge. The clinical trial results sparked a spontaneous standing ovation among cancer researchers when first presented this week at the American College of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago.

The experimental drug daraxonrasib, which doubled survival time in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, may also prove effective for lung, colon and ovarian cancers.

Pancreatic cancer patients will have a new and promising treatment option with this action by the FDA. It can take years...
05/02/2026

Pancreatic cancer patients will have a new and promising treatment option with this action by the FDA. It can take years for new cancer drugs to reach the market, so this improved access is important. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/business/fda-pancreatic-cancer-drug.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawRitTRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR5MrsUool3QPe6mAf-P66FlbxiYCyJ8280Unua6nBMrAj6hyb4vQBxfNFVwjA_aem_HhQy7yhiotWo-iXJS9_LUQ

Patients with one of the deadliest cancers have been pleading for an unapproved treatment that may prolong their lives.

Each April, cities across the nation host PurpleStride events to build support for pancreatic cancer patients. And each ...
04/29/2026

Each April, cities across the nation host PurpleStride events to build support for pancreatic cancer patients. And each year Lynn Ross is there honoring her Philadelphia Inquirer colleagues Steve Kelly and Ron Wade. Thank you, Lynn, and congratulations to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for another successful day of awareness, compassion and hope.

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