Those on the Front Lines of Cancer is a film that aired on PBS in 2019, directed and produced by Keith Famie. This production talks about real-time stories of cancer patients with those on the front-line of researching cures. The newest approaches will be examined, including advancements being made in chemotherapy and holistic medicine.  Sheila Kasselman is one of the movie’s Executive Producers and has a special segment in the film representing pancreatic cancer.

This extraordinary documentary has been nominated for the 2020 Michigan Emmys as best “Documentary – Topical” &  “Health/Science – Program/Special”.

The 42ND ANNUAL MICHIGAN REGIONAL EMMY™AWARDS will be airing virtually on June 20th  at 7pm. Please check their website for updates on this virtual experience.

Like all cells in the body, cancerous cells need nutrients and energy to survive, which presents researchers with an opportunity to cut off the supply and slow their spread. A research team at Columbia University has made an exciting discovery in this area, finding that a compound currently under development for a rare kidney stone disease can starve pancreatic cancer cells of a key amino acid they depend on, a technique that proved to stop tumor growth in mice.

“We’re very encouraged by these results,” says Kenneth P. Olive, PhD, senior author of the study. “Pancreatic cancer is a uniquely lethal disease, with an average survival rate of just six months after diagnosis. We’re in desperate need of new treatments.”

One of the ways pancreatic cancer causes harm is by driving the production of oxidants, which can be fatal to healthy cells in the body but leave the tumor cells intact. The reason for this is an amino acid called cysteine, which the tumor cells import in huge quantities and allows them to produce molecules that neutralize the toxic effect of the oxidants.

“Since pancreatic tumors appear to depend on cysteine import for their survival, we hypothesized that it might be possible to slow tumor growth by selectively targeting this amino acid,” Olive says.

The team worked with mouse models of pancreatic cancer closely resembling tumors in humans. They engineered the mice to be missing the gene that controls cysteine import and found that this missing piece led to a halt in the tumors growing and a doubling of the median survival time.

In another experiment, the team treated the mice with a drug called cysteinase, with similar results. This compound is under development for the treatment of a rare genetic disorder called cystinuria, in which high amounts of cysteine build up and lead to the formation of kidney and urinary tract stones. The scientists also added cysteinase to tissue culture containing human pancreatic cancer cells, causing those cells to die.

The team is now working to see if the drug’s effectiveness can be ramped up by combining it with other cancer treatments, such as immunotherapy. One of the promising outcomes of this approach, the team notes, is that it appears to leave normal cells unharmed.

“You might imagine that all the cells of your body need every amino acid equally, but we knew from prior studies that most normal cells need only very low levels of cysteine,” Olive says. “Our whole goal in targeting this difference between normal cells and cancer cells is to develop a treatment that is toxic to cancer and gentle on the rest of the body.”

The research was published in the journal Science.

Source: Columbia University

Sheila Kasselman takes Sky Foundation personally. She founded the nonprofit in 2008 while recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery. The foundation seeks to find an early detection method that increases survival rates of those with pancreatic cancer.

“Sheila Sky Kasselman … has done monumental work in spreading the awareness about this disease. She has tirelessly spent over a decade on bringing this often neglected yet very deadly and unmet clinical problem to the forefront. Her work through Sky Foundation Inc. has impacted the lives of patients, relatives and the scientific community,” said Asfar Azmi, director of Pancreas Cancer Research Initiative and co-leader of Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Research Program at Karmanos Cancer Institute.

In addition to advocacy and fundraising, Kasselman spends time with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients then works closely with Henry Ford Health System, Karmanos and the University of Michigan to match patients with the right physician.

Read more about Crain’s Notable Women in Health HERE.

PanCAN wrote a phenomenal article on our founder, Sheila Sky Kasselman.  You can visit PanCAN’s website for more information and read the entire article below:

Sheila Sky Kasselman has experienced more than a decade’s worth of challenges, but the 12-year pancreatic cancer survivor doesn’t let that get her down.

“Every day is a new beginning,” Kasselman said. “I’m here and functional. That’s the best news.”

In 2007, Kasselman was diagnosed with stage I pancreatic cancer. Though her disease was caught at an early stage, she had been suffering for nine months before doctors found the cause.

“People don’t realize how depressed you get when you don’t know what is going on,” Kasselman shared.

“And depression is a symptom of pancreatic cancer. In fact, I had many more symptoms.”

They included nausea, weight loss, diabetes, back pain and jaundice.

When the symptoms started, her tumor was small and hidden under an artery, so the doctors couldn’t see it on a CT scan. When it grew large enough to collapse her bile duct, jaundice set in, triggering another scan.

This time, they could see the tumor.

Luckily, she was still eligible for surgery.

For eligible patients, surgery is the best option for long-term survival of pancreatic cancer.

Kasselman had chemotherapy and radiation therapy, followed by the Whipple procedure.

As a result of the treatment, she now has type 3c diabetes. This type of diabetes is caused by pancreatic diseases, like pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis, or removal of some or all of the pancreas through surgery.

Between the removal of organs during the surgery and the diabetes that followed – along with further complications due to kidney stones – Kasselman continues to have huge nutritional challenges.

Even now, more than a decade later, she remains on an extremely limited diet. She drinks a ton of water to stay hydrated and takes pancreatic enzymes with every meal, as well as vitamin D.

But Kasselman is still a force to be reckoned with.

Weighing in at only 95 pounds, she’s strong – exercising, doing Pilates and walking on a regular basis.

She has also kept her sense of humor and is committed to helping others learn about this disease.

“It is equally important for me to raise awareness and to raise funds for research.

“So many people don’t get to the doctor in time. Late diagnosis breaks my heart.”

Just four months after her Whipple surgery, Kasselman started Sky Foundation to raise awareness and fund research for the early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Sky Foundation is a member of the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition, a global alliance in the fight against the disease.

The foundation has also funded Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) initiatives.

“I think PanCAN is doing excellent work,” Kasselman said. “I have the utmost respect for everything that PanCAN does.”

She is particularly excited about the new dedicated federal pancreatic cancer research program – and credits PanCAN’s advocacy efforts for that legislation. She also supports PanCAN’s research into the connection between diabetes and pancreatic cancer.

Much of her life focuses on pancreatic cancer – except when she’s playing competitive bridge. “It’s the only way I can get away from the disease and turn my brain off!” Kasselman said.

“My devotion to this disease remains as intense as it was when I started the foundation.”

Kasselman is often contacted by others who have been recently diagnosed with the disease, and she always listens and provides support.

Most importantly, she is a beacon of hope.

Kasselman doesn’t focus on the struggles. She celebrates what she has accomplished since her diagnosis and her commitment to Sky Foundation. She also celebrates getting to see her four grandchildren grow up!

By Jean M. Stenger, CPA 

Consider donating appreciated stock from your investment portfolio instead of cash.  Your tax benefits from the donation can be increased and Sky Foundation will be just as happy to receive your stock.

The tax benefit to the donor is in the form of a larger deduction for the donation of the stock, using the fair market value of the stock on the date of the donation WITHOUT having to pay taxes on the value of the appreciation (capital gain).    In other words, the donor does not have to recognize the gain on the donated stock as long as the donation is made out of the donor’s brokerage account and received directly into the foundation’s account (not converted to cash first). The stock must be held for more than a year to qualify for this preferential tax treatment and must not be from a retirement account (401K or IRA).  

Sky Foundation receives the fair market value of the stock which can be converted to cash and used to fund its research  programs and achieve its mission.

The information contained in this newsletter article is for general informational purposes.  Consult your tax advisor for tax advice specific to your tax situation.

Jean M. Stenger, CPA is currently a Senior Manager at the CPA firm of Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci, P.C.