The inspiration for this tournament is our dad, Bill Zatorski, who fought a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer before passing away in February 2008. Dad loved basketball so we thought it befitting to organize a basketball tournament to act with a hope of bringing increased awareness and some additional funding to this disease. The tournament recognizes all families affected by pancreatic cancer.
In general, pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas.
The pancreas is a gland about 6 inches long that is shaped like a thin pear lying on its side. The wider end of the pancreas is called the head, the middle section is called the body, and the narrow end is called the tail. The pancreas lies behind the stomach and in front of the spine.
The pancreas has two main jobs in the body:
- To produce juices that help digest (break down) food.
- To produce hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, that help control blood sugar levels. Both of these hormones help the body use and store the energy it gets from food.
(Source: www.webmd.com)
Also, pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
In 2008, an estimated 37,680 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 34,290 will die from the disease.
Men are 20% more likely to get pancreatic cancer than women and the majority of cases occur in people over the age of 65. The incidence rate among African-Americans is 40 to 50% higher than other ethnic groups.
Pancreatic cancer research constitutes less than 2% of the National Cancer Institute’s federal research funding—a figure far too low given the severity of the disease.
From a scientific research perspective, pancreatic cancer is where breast cancer was in the 1930s. Advancing pancreatic cancer research into the 21st century is dependent upon the increase of basic scientific research.
(Source: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)
To learn more about pancreatic cancer, please visit www.pancan.org.
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"Shooting For Awareness, Support,
and a Cure"
