October 22, 2024 • 19 mins
Step into the Halloween season at the 27th Annual L.A. Cancer Challenge 5K Walk/Run on Sunday, October 27 at UCLA. Southern California’s longest-running Halloween-themed fundraiser promises to unite the community and bring joy and hope through the spirit of fundraising for pancreatic cancer research. Discover the ultimate family experience with the free Fit Family Expo, Candy Land Kids Zone, and Halloween activities for all ages.
In efforts to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer, this event emphasizes the significance of advancing pancreatic cancer research, developing early treatment, and providing supportive care. Additionally, the walk honors survivors and pays tribute to those who have succumbed to the illness. Marking the kick-off to Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November, the LACC is the signature fundraiser for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Aired October 20, 2024: In this podcast, Lisa Foxx talks to Lisa Manheim, the Executive Director for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Race Director for the L.A. Cancer Challenge. The Lisa's talk all things pancreatic cancer research, advancements and what scientists are doing to detect it earlier. We discuss the big LA Cancer Challenge event and how folks can get involved.
To be a part of the event, make a donation and/or learn about the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Research, click HERE.
In efforts to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer, this event emphasizes the significance of advancing pancreatic cancer research, developing early treatment, and providing supportive care. Additionally, the walk honors survivors and pays tribute to those who have succumbed to the illness. Marking the kick-off to Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November, the LACC is the signature fundraiser for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Aired October 20, 2024: In this podcast, Lisa Foxx talks to Lisa Manheim, the Executive Director for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Race Director for the L.A. Cancer Challenge. The Lisa's talk all things pancreatic cancer research, advancements and what scientists are doing to detect it earlier. We discuss the big LA Cancer Challenge event and how folks can get involved.
To be a part of the event, make a donation and/or learn about the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Research, click HERE.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, It's Lisa Fox and this is the iHeart So
Cal Show. So did you know that next weekend, next Sunday,
you can get all dressed up for Halloween, do a
five k in your costume right there on the campus
at UCLA and help fight cancer. You can next Sunday,
October twenty seventh, It's the twenty seventh annual LA Cancer Challenge.
People are pumped up for this. It's an annual Halloween
(00:21):
fundraiser that also brings awareness about pancreatic cancer. It's all
about raising money for life saving research and offering hope
to families and Auto tell us all about it is
a lady behind it all. She put this whole thing
together twenty seven years ago. Lisa Mannheim.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Hi, Lisa, Hi, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I love having you on. You do two pretty huge
cancer fighting events that people just seem to love. Your
big annual tour to Pier that happens with a gazillion
spin bikes out there at the Manhattan Beach Pier every spring.
And this one and Halloween costume is for your twenty
seventh annual LA Cancer Challenge. So let's dive in.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
You know it's a good one. If it's still around
for twenty seven years and we're up twenty three percent
right now in registration, So people are definitely gearing up
to come to come on out and celebrate this beautiful
day at UCLA.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, I come on. Some people get really crazy over
the top helmets work, maybe even money and time we
spend in creating, making, or or buying our Halloween costume.
So let's get as much use out of these these
costumes as best we can and show them off at
your five k next Sunday.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, you need, you need another reason to wear your
Halloween costume.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Right, spend all that money, costume.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Exactly, exactly, all that creativity. But costume or not, we
want you to come out. Purple is the awareness color
for pink ratic cancer, So Halloween costume or not, we
want you to come out. We've got a fit Family
Expo and our kids costume Parade and adult costume contests
are awesome. Candyland Kids Zone, and the best part is
(01:53):
after you run or walk your five k around the
gorgeous campus, if you say you're treated to our christ
Cream finish line, donut.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Wall, whoa.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Grab a giant wall of donuts and a great photo
photo off as well. But it's really it's a super
super special day.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And something fun to run to to know you're running
towards the Christie Kim Dona Wall. That's the finish line, like, wait,
I must keep going, I.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Must continue exactly, Donuts in my future.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Exactly, and hey, and you're going to earn it with
all the steps we're going to get in and it's
a five k run walks and no pressure to run
it if you can, if you're able to, you can.
But if you want to just stroll and walk and
get your steps in that way right and you can
do it virtually exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
We we're on campus at UCLA, but there's also a
virtual registration option on our website, which is LA Cancer
Challenge dot com. It doesn't matter how you participate in
the end, the most important thing is that we're raising
money and awareness for pank gradic cancer. There's a lot
of reasons why pankcradic cancer research specifically deserves this tension
(03:00):
and the funding, And no matter how you do it
in person or not be part of it. On Sunday,
that's what we're asking.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
The LA Cancer Challenge kicks off pank credit cancer awareness month,
which is November. And boy, you know, if you have
a whole month in your honor, you must be a
big deal. So sadly, pank Credit cancer takes the lives
of a lot of people's loved ones, including your stepdad,
whom your organization was named after.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yes, pank Credit cancer is definitely a very difficult diagnosis
to be faced with. It's the number three cancer killer
in the United States. But LA Cancer Challenge is about
focusing on sort of the positive, the great work that
we are doing with the research that we're funding through
our various programs, including our c grant program and Aggie
(03:48):
Hirschburt's Center for Pancratic Diseases at UCLA. So that's really
what we're trying to do, is we want to focus
on the positives because there really have been some great
development in pancredic cancer and some promising studies that were
funding and we wouldn't be able to find if it
weren't for fundraisers like the Ali Cancer Change.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
And you know, with the organization being started in honor
of your stepdad, I mean that was so many years
ago that there wasn't anything being done about it, and
now all these years later. Like you mentioned, there are
great strides and so much more hope for families of
God forbid someone that you know and love is diagnosed
with pancredic cancer.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Exactly, exactly. I don't want to tell you about some
of the cool research and stuff that's going on right now.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Absolutely love good news.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Sure, Okay, Well, as we all know, the key is
early detection. Right now, if the average life inspectancy after
five years for five years is thirteen percent, but if
it's caught early, the five year survival rate jumps to
forty four percent. So obviously the key is to detect
it early. So there are currently studies of liquid biopsies
(04:56):
for early detection, including blood and even a urine test
that's working to predict the cancer cells. There's also super
exciting stuff happening in the world of AI, you know,
everybody's buzzword, but their studies going on that's helping trying
to predict pank credit cancer years earlier for those who
are at high risk by examining the medical records of
(05:17):
high risk patients. So that's exciting. There's lots of promising studies.
We just shared recently this very positive news that UCLA
researchers were awarded a four million dollar grant to advance
immune immunotherapy treatment for pan credit cancer. Those three researchers
who helmed this study are our honorary medical Chairs. They're
(05:40):
going to be at LA Cancer Challenge talking in our
opening ceremonies, sharing this good news and basically explaining why
this this was possible. For them to receive this four
million dollar grant, it was because of the work that
we did to give them the startup grant, the seed
grant funding that was needed to make these larger grants
(06:02):
from the NIH possible.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
So exciting for like scientists, do you feel like they're
on the brink of something. Hey, here's four million dollars.
Let's make something happen here. And how exciting for them
to be. They're like in the trenches in the lab
right there, it's all right there in front of them,
you know what I mean. And now the funding can
help ye help them continue further and get more answers
about this disease.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
That's right. And so the SEA Grant program, which is
really a seed grant meaning a startup grant where we're
giving seventy five thousand dollars to the new novel, young
research ideas. You can't get the big money for research
without being published. You can't get published without having some
money to conduct your studies. So the SEA Grant program
(06:43):
in essence is trying to fund those young startups and
then with the hopes that they're eventually going to be
published and their ideas are going to lead to more discoveries,
and discovery are going to lead to really big awards
like this four million dollar Immuni Therapy award that you see,
I got those super super exciting. There's also a vaccine
(07:03):
in the pipeline that's going to prevent disease recurrence. So
many good good news things, lots lots of positives that
we're going to be sharing on Sunday. And it's nice
because it's been been twenty seven years, and you know,
our first like fifteen years, the progress was slow. We
were the first ones to start funding research, so it
(07:25):
really took time and we started really to feel the
momentum the progress happening, maybe you know year fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,
So now it's just at year twenty seven, feels like
we've got so many positives, so many good things to share,
and we just got to keep We got to keep at.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It, forging ahead, keep forging ahead, soldiering forward.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
That's right, that's right, and that's why our motto since
our twentieth anniversary has been never give up. And it's
why we focus on doing everything we can to continue
to help patients and to ultimately find it here for
this disease. And the best way to do it is
by coming out and joining us at LA Cancer Challenge.
(08:06):
I mean, UCLA, it's so beautiful, such a gorgeous campus.
It's going to be a beautiful day and such a
great great thing to do with your family. Again, before
you eat all that Halloween candy the following weekend, I.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Know some people start early the candies at every store everywhere.
It's hard to like not start buying it now, that's
for sure. And hey, Lisa, you're not just in love
with the UCLA campus because you know you graduated there, right,
because you're a bruined that's not actually like, what are
the many reasons why I love the campus? What are
the many reasons? Yes, and that's also the home of
the Hirschburg Foundation for pankraad to Cancer Research. That's where
(08:41):
you're located.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yes, our Aggie Hirschburg Center is there. We've got labs
and it really is our hub. It has been since
we started back in nineteen ninety seven. So it's very
fitting that the La Cancer Challenge would would take place
a stone throwaway from our labs.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And Lisa for people who aren't remembering all these super
fun things that oliver organs do. What does a little
pancreas do for our bodies? Why do we need It's
so important?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah, very good question, because lots of people don't even
know where your pancreas is.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
It's somewhere in the middle. It's in the middle, somewhere rights.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Exactly right, it's exactly it's about six inches long. It's
deep inside your stomach, deep inside your belly, in between
your stomach and sort of the upper part of your abdomen.
It's in there, tucked in with your liver, you're intestine
your spleen and it basically the pancreas makes the juices
that contain enzyme to help digest your food and get
(09:37):
the nutrients from that come from the food into your body.
So pancredic cancer occurs when there's an abnormal cells albert
abnormal cell growth in your pancreas, which is such a
vital organ.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
But then, how do people know if something's going on
in there? How do we you know, like you said,
eventually the goal is to get or create easier ways
for these annual tests. Until then, how might we know
if something is wrong with our pancreas.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Some of the symptoms right now include weight loss, stomach pains,
back pains, development of type two diabetes, or jaundice. These
are all common symptoms, but they are also symptoms for
a lot of other diseases. So cancer is so hard
to detect, and that's why that early detection focused is
(10:27):
so critical. And we do know that there are certain
factors that can increase your risk, including being older, cigarette smoking, overweight,
being obese, having diabetes, or family history of the disease
in close relatives. Those are you can mitigate the disease by,
you know, obviously living a healthy lifestyle, active, not smoking,
(10:50):
But pancratic cancer, unfortunately, it can't be prevented. We have
to do what it takes. Not yet, not yet, We're
working on it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, hopefully in the next handful of years. You know,
like you said, you're you're finally making strides. I mean,
that's pretty incredible though. Look, you said, this is the
twenty seventh annual LA Cancer Challenge, and you've been going
strong with your organization and now just finally, finally, after
all these years, you know, things are coming together and
you're seeing the light at the end of all these
different tunnels. I mean, it's a very exciting time for
(11:20):
folks and the future taking a cancer. Yeah, and for
the families affected.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Absolutely, that's why, that's why we got to keep unplugging.
We've raised eleven million just from the LA Cancer Challenge
in our twenty seven years. Wow, or have a gold
to ray six hundred thousand on Sunday, and we need
everybody to come on out and do their part.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
What is the best website for all the information and
to get signed up and to find out more about
the LA Cancer Challenge next Sunday at UCLA.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
You can go right now to LA Cancer Challenge dot com.
You can register all week long and you can also
just show up on Sunday and register. The five K
starts at nine o'clock. The expo with with the Kid Zone,
Candylan kid Zone and all the goodies start at seven
thirty in the morning and we're all done by eleven,
(12:09):
so it's just a you'll still have your whole second
half of your day. Yeah, do all that other stuff now.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
At least I was on the website and I saw
some of these top fundraisers and top teams. Yeah, are
these people from there amazing? This year? Only are from
a cultive accumulative amount from over the year. Is this
Douglas no Atkin? Fifty six thousand plus dollars he's raised?
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Yes? I have not. Doug Atkin has been a team
captain for all twenty seven years. Doug, we have Doug.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Where's Doug from?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
He's an Angelina obviously, Yes, he's an angelina. He has
lost many friends to pancredic cancer. His team is called
Heather and ten and Walter and all. And what's incredible
about Doug is that he shares his tips on fundraising.
He believes that if you do a little bit every
day that you'll be able to raise lots, as he's shown,
(13:02):
and he's willing to share those tips with all team captains.
So we've written We've got lots of suggestions from Doug
that we've been sharing with our registered team captains and
our participants that tried and true. Yeah, yeah, he's incredible.
We also have Marvin's Marvels there are one of our
top fundraising teams year in and year out. They're up there,
(13:26):
and any team captain, any team excuse me, that raised
twenty five hundred or more as of October thirteenth, is
going to get their name up on the start Line
banner because we really feel like the team captains, the
teams that are doing the fundraising are the ones that
are helping us move the needle. Sure, they're as important
to us as our corporate partners who are helping make
(13:49):
sure that all of the registration fees and the fundraising
dollars go directly to research. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I mean these people are working really hard. And again,
if you're only able to I do a lot of
charity events, as you know, lisays, so I'm able to
give smaller amounts more often. So don't be afraid to
give a smaller amount if you can, and raise whatever
you can. Even though it's Doug and his team has
raised over sixty six thousand. Yeah, Marvin's Marvels there are
(14:15):
forty seven thousand dollars. Wow, Team soul Meller over twenty
two twelve thousand on here ten twenty thousand. I mean,
but that's just incredible dedication. Like you said, usually it's
people who lost someone that they love and they're like, Costron,
this disease, we got to stop this thing.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Those are all team captains that have been doing this
for a few years. I don't want anybody listening to
feel intimidated that they have to do that. You do not.
You just need to register and show up. If you
fundraise just one hundred and fifty dollars, you start to
earn fundraising prizes, and we have some great prizes so
(14:54):
that everybody earns regardless. So if you can just hit
that low one fifty mark, any he can hunt, you're
in fun Raise, You're in. You're gonna already You're already
going to start earning prizes. So that's good. Again, Yes,
that's just the starting and the next year you can
be like Doug.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
But after he shares those tips, I think I need
to have on the radio show.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah, he's he'll talk your ear off, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Now, Lisa, what are the most some of the most
common costumes Any fun easy last minute costume ideas for
someone who's going to do a five k with your
next Sunday for the LA Cancer Challenge. Easy last minute
costumes for Halloween.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
People love to run into twos. We two twos, superheroes, kate.
Anything that's easy, you know, easy and fun to move
around and is all good with us.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
We my honey and I could come as cats. We
have a lot of cat ears in my house. Crazy
crazy cat people.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
That's perfect. That's crazy cat people. That's very fitting. We'll
take all the crazy cat links.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Can we come as daughter fans? Come on, it's a
good time to be a dog fans.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Tom, that's a great idea. I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Dodger fans, LA Kings fans. What are uniforms? Are chargers?
Fan about uniforms? You got in your closet? Hey, that
could work. That could qualify as a Halloween costume. We're fans.
That's that's a costume. Might just make a little extra fun.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
It's a perfect October costume.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
What's this that you do? Also at the LA Cancer
Challenge next Sunday? How do you honor survivors and pay
tribute to those that we've lost? You do something special
at the walk?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Yeah, we do. We do a We do a couple
of things. First, we do a team tribute video where
all the teams that are created have the opportunity to
submit photo or two and it's all part of a
video that we play before the walk begins. And then
each year we honor an honorary We honor a patient
(16:49):
with the title of being the Honorary Starter, And this
year we have a pancrad a cancer survivor named Tom
Ray was a nine year survivor. He's going to get
up on that start for say some inspirational words before
everybody takes off and we blow that start horn. So
those are really the moments where you are out there,
(17:10):
you've gotten up early, you've got your running shoes on,
and you see it. You see a man or woman
up there who is living with the disease, who has
fought the disease, who's giving you that inspiration before you
take off around the school, and it really reminds you
why they're there and hopefully gives you that inspiration to
make it to make it to the finish line. Donut wall, Sure,
(17:31):
so you got the motivation at the beginning, the donut
at the end. But yeah, yeah, last year, last year
we had a twenty five year survivor Roberta Luna. She'll
be back as well. But it's Tom whose words are
going to start us off this year, and we couldn't
be more thrilled about that.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
So it's a few thousand people coming together next Sunday
UCLA Campus for the twenty seventh annual La Cancer Challenge.
That'll be Sunday, October twenty seventh, nine am start time,
So get out there even earlier. Start you know, looking
at checking out your Halloween costume competition, see how you're
going to be up against. And bring the family, bring
the kids. You got that Deir free Fit Family Expo,
you got the candy Candyland kid Zone and Halloween activities
(18:12):
for all ages, and just a great day, a great
reason to bring people, bringing people together, raise a bunch
of money, have a good time, and learn more about
this disease and what we can do about it exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, I just wanted to just share that it's at
Ussel and the start is at Wilsome Plaza, which is
right near the Annenberg Soccer Fields below the iconic jam steps.
Very easy to find, we have great directions on our website.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
And again, Lisa Manheim, thank you. So much for all
that you do year round. Your passion is unwavering and
all your hard work so you're making that magic happen.
You and the team over there at the Heirsburg Foundation,
So thank you for all that you do. And to
find out more and get your costume and get your
butt on down there for the five k run walk
next weekend, next Sunday. It's La Cancer Challenge dot com
(18:58):
La Cancer Challenge dot com COMO. All right, yay, yeah,
we'll see us.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Thank you,
Hi, It's Lisa Fox and this is the iHeart So
Cal Show. So did you know that next weekend, next Sunday,
you can get all dressed up for Halloween, do a
five k in your costume right there on the campus
at UCLA and help fight cancer. You can next Sunday,
October twenty seventh, It's the twenty seventh annual LA Cancer Challenge.
People are pumped up for this. It's an annual Halloween
(00:21):
fundraiser that also brings awareness about pancreatic cancer. It's all
about raising money for life saving research and offering hope
to families and Auto tell us all about it is
a lady behind it all. She put this whole thing
together twenty seven years ago. Lisa Mannheim.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Hi, Lisa, Hi, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I love having you on. You do two pretty huge
cancer fighting events that people just seem to love. Your
big annual tour to Pier that happens with a gazillion
spin bikes out there at the Manhattan Beach Pier every spring.
And this one and Halloween costume is for your twenty
seventh annual LA Cancer Challenge. So let's dive in.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
You know it's a good one. If it's still around
for twenty seven years and we're up twenty three percent
right now in registration, So people are definitely gearing up
to come to come on out and celebrate this beautiful
day at UCLA.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, I come on. Some people get really crazy over
the top helmets work, maybe even money and time we
spend in creating, making, or or buying our Halloween costume.
So let's get as much use out of these these
costumes as best we can and show them off at
your five k next Sunday.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, you need, you need another reason to wear your
Halloween costume.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Right, spend all that money, costume.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Exactly, exactly, all that creativity. But costume or not, we
want you to come out. Purple is the awareness color
for pink ratic cancer, So Halloween costume or not, we
want you to come out. We've got a fit Family
Expo and our kids costume Parade and adult costume contests
are awesome. Candyland Kids Zone, and the best part is
(01:53):
after you run or walk your five k around the
gorgeous campus, if you say you're treated to our christ
Cream finish line, donut.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Wall, whoa.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Grab a giant wall of donuts and a great photo
photo off as well. But it's really it's a super
super special day.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And something fun to run to to know you're running
towards the Christie Kim Dona Wall. That's the finish line, like, wait,
I must keep going, I.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Must continue exactly, Donuts in my future.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Exactly, and hey, and you're going to earn it with
all the steps we're going to get in and it's
a five k run walks and no pressure to run
it if you can, if you're able to, you can.
But if you want to just stroll and walk and
get your steps in that way right and you can
do it virtually exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
We we're on campus at UCLA, but there's also a
virtual registration option on our website, which is LA Cancer
Challenge dot com. It doesn't matter how you participate in
the end, the most important thing is that we're raising
money and awareness for pank gradic cancer. There's a lot
of reasons why pankcradic cancer research specifically deserves this tension
(03:00):
and the funding, And no matter how you do it
in person or not be part of it. On Sunday,
that's what we're asking.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
The LA Cancer Challenge kicks off pank credit cancer awareness month,
which is November. And boy, you know, if you have
a whole month in your honor, you must be a
big deal. So sadly, pank Credit cancer takes the lives
of a lot of people's loved ones, including your stepdad,
whom your organization was named after.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yes, pank Credit cancer is definitely a very difficult diagnosis
to be faced with. It's the number three cancer killer
in the United States. But LA Cancer Challenge is about
focusing on sort of the positive, the great work that
we are doing with the research that we're funding through
our various programs, including our c grant program and Aggie
(03:48):
Hirschburt's Center for Pancratic Diseases at UCLA. So that's really
what we're trying to do, is we want to focus
on the positives because there really have been some great
development in pancredic cancer and some promising studies that were
funding and we wouldn't be able to find if it
weren't for fundraisers like the Ali Cancer Change.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
And you know, with the organization being started in honor
of your stepdad, I mean that was so many years
ago that there wasn't anything being done about it, and
now all these years later. Like you mentioned, there are
great strides and so much more hope for families of
God forbid someone that you know and love is diagnosed
with pancredic cancer.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Exactly, exactly. I don't want to tell you about some
of the cool research and stuff that's going on right now.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Absolutely love good news.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Sure, Okay, Well, as we all know, the key is
early detection. Right now, if the average life inspectancy after
five years for five years is thirteen percent, but if
it's caught early, the five year survival rate jumps to
forty four percent. So obviously the key is to detect
it early. So there are currently studies of liquid biopsies
(04:56):
for early detection, including blood and even a urine test
that's working to predict the cancer cells. There's also super
exciting stuff happening in the world of AI, you know,
everybody's buzzword, but their studies going on that's helping trying
to predict pank credit cancer years earlier for those who
are at high risk by examining the medical records of
(05:17):
high risk patients. So that's exciting. There's lots of promising studies.
We just shared recently this very positive news that UCLA
researchers were awarded a four million dollar grant to advance
immune immunotherapy treatment for pan credit cancer. Those three researchers
who helmed this study are our honorary medical Chairs. They're
(05:40):
going to be at LA Cancer Challenge talking in our
opening ceremonies, sharing this good news and basically explaining why
this this was possible. For them to receive this four
million dollar grant, it was because of the work that
we did to give them the startup grant, the seed
grant funding that was needed to make these larger grants
(06:02):
from the NIH possible.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
So exciting for like scientists, do you feel like they're
on the brink of something. Hey, here's four million dollars.
Let's make something happen here. And how exciting for them
to be. They're like in the trenches in the lab
right there, it's all right there in front of them,
you know what I mean. And now the funding can
help ye help them continue further and get more answers
about this disease.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
That's right. And so the SEA Grant program, which is
really a seed grant meaning a startup grant where we're
giving seventy five thousand dollars to the new novel, young
research ideas. You can't get the big money for research
without being published. You can't get published without having some
money to conduct your studies. So the SEA Grant program
(06:43):
in essence is trying to fund those young startups and
then with the hopes that they're eventually going to be
published and their ideas are going to lead to more discoveries,
and discovery are going to lead to really big awards
like this four million dollar Immuni Therapy award that you see,
I got those super super exciting. There's also a vaccine
(07:03):
in the pipeline that's going to prevent disease recurrence. So
many good good news things, lots lots of positives that
we're going to be sharing on Sunday. And it's nice
because it's been been twenty seven years, and you know,
our first like fifteen years, the progress was slow. We
were the first ones to start funding research, so it
(07:25):
really took time and we started really to feel the
momentum the progress happening, maybe you know year fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,
So now it's just at year twenty seven, feels like
we've got so many positives, so many good things to share,
and we just got to keep We got to keep at.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It, forging ahead, keep forging ahead, soldiering forward.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
That's right, that's right, and that's why our motto since
our twentieth anniversary has been never give up. And it's
why we focus on doing everything we can to continue
to help patients and to ultimately find it here for
this disease. And the best way to do it is
by coming out and joining us at LA Cancer Challenge.
(08:06):
I mean, UCLA, it's so beautiful, such a gorgeous campus.
It's going to be a beautiful day and such a
great great thing to do with your family. Again, before
you eat all that Halloween candy the following weekend, I.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Know some people start early the candies at every store everywhere.
It's hard to like not start buying it now, that's
for sure. And hey, Lisa, you're not just in love
with the UCLA campus because you know you graduated there, right,
because you're a bruined that's not actually like, what are
the many reasons why I love the campus? What are
the many reasons? Yes, and that's also the home of
the Hirschburg Foundation for pankraad to Cancer Research. That's where
(08:41):
you're located.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yes, our Aggie Hirschburg Center is there. We've got labs
and it really is our hub. It has been since
we started back in nineteen ninety seven. So it's very
fitting that the La Cancer Challenge would would take place
a stone throwaway from our labs.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And Lisa for people who aren't remembering all these super
fun things that oliver organs do. What does a little
pancreas do for our bodies? Why do we need It's
so important?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah, very good question, because lots of people don't even
know where your pancreas is.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
It's somewhere in the middle. It's in the middle, somewhere rights.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Exactly right, it's exactly it's about six inches long. It's
deep inside your stomach, deep inside your belly, in between
your stomach and sort of the upper part of your abdomen.
It's in there, tucked in with your liver, you're intestine
your spleen and it basically the pancreas makes the juices
that contain enzyme to help digest your food and get
(09:37):
the nutrients from that come from the food into your body.
So pancredic cancer occurs when there's an abnormal cells albert
abnormal cell growth in your pancreas, which is such a
vital organ.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
But then, how do people know if something's going on
in there? How do we you know, like you said,
eventually the goal is to get or create easier ways
for these annual tests. Until then, how might we know
if something is wrong with our pancreas.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Some of the symptoms right now include weight loss, stomach pains,
back pains, development of type two diabetes, or jaundice. These
are all common symptoms, but they are also symptoms for
a lot of other diseases. So cancer is so hard
to detect, and that's why that early detection focused is
(10:27):
so critical. And we do know that there are certain
factors that can increase your risk, including being older, cigarette smoking, overweight,
being obese, having diabetes, or family history of the disease
in close relatives. Those are you can mitigate the disease by,
you know, obviously living a healthy lifestyle, active, not smoking,
(10:50):
But pancratic cancer, unfortunately, it can't be prevented. We have
to do what it takes. Not yet, not yet, We're
working on it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, hopefully in the next handful of years. You know,
like you said, you're you're finally making strides. I mean,
that's pretty incredible though. Look, you said, this is the
twenty seventh annual LA Cancer Challenge, and you've been going
strong with your organization and now just finally, finally, after
all these years, you know, things are coming together and
you're seeing the light at the end of all these
different tunnels. I mean, it's a very exciting time for
(11:20):
folks and the future taking a cancer. Yeah, and for
the families affected.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Absolutely, that's why, that's why we got to keep unplugging.
We've raised eleven million just from the LA Cancer Challenge
in our twenty seven years. Wow, or have a gold
to ray six hundred thousand on Sunday, and we need
everybody to come on out and do their part.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
What is the best website for all the information and
to get signed up and to find out more about
the LA Cancer Challenge next Sunday at UCLA.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
You can go right now to LA Cancer Challenge dot com.
You can register all week long and you can also
just show up on Sunday and register. The five K
starts at nine o'clock. The expo with with the Kid Zone,
Candylan kid Zone and all the goodies start at seven
thirty in the morning and we're all done by eleven,
(12:09):
so it's just a you'll still have your whole second
half of your day. Yeah, do all that other stuff now.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
At least I was on the website and I saw
some of these top fundraisers and top teams. Yeah, are
these people from there amazing? This year? Only are from
a cultive accumulative amount from over the year. Is this
Douglas no Atkin? Fifty six thousand plus dollars he's raised?
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Yes? I have not. Doug Atkin has been a team
captain for all twenty seven years. Doug, we have Doug.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Where's Doug from?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
He's an Angelina obviously, Yes, he's an angelina. He has
lost many friends to pancredic cancer. His team is called
Heather and ten and Walter and all. And what's incredible
about Doug is that he shares his tips on fundraising.
He believes that if you do a little bit every
day that you'll be able to raise lots, as he's shown,
(13:02):
and he's willing to share those tips with all team captains.
So we've written We've got lots of suggestions from Doug
that we've been sharing with our registered team captains and
our participants that tried and true. Yeah, yeah, he's incredible.
We also have Marvin's Marvels there are one of our
top fundraising teams year in and year out. They're up there,
(13:26):
and any team captain, any team excuse me, that raised
twenty five hundred or more as of October thirteenth, is
going to get their name up on the start Line
banner because we really feel like the team captains, the
teams that are doing the fundraising are the ones that
are helping us move the needle. Sure, they're as important
to us as our corporate partners who are helping make
(13:49):
sure that all of the registration fees and the fundraising
dollars go directly to research. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I mean these people are working really hard. And again,
if you're only able to I do a lot of
charity events, as you know, lisays, so I'm able to
give smaller amounts more often. So don't be afraid to
give a smaller amount if you can, and raise whatever
you can. Even though it's Doug and his team has
raised over sixty six thousand. Yeah, Marvin's Marvels there are
(14:15):
forty seven thousand dollars. Wow, Team soul Meller over twenty
two twelve thousand on here ten twenty thousand. I mean,
but that's just incredible dedication. Like you said, usually it's
people who lost someone that they love and they're like, Costron,
this disease, we got to stop this thing.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Those are all team captains that have been doing this
for a few years. I don't want anybody listening to
feel intimidated that they have to do that. You do not.
You just need to register and show up. If you
fundraise just one hundred and fifty dollars, you start to
earn fundraising prizes, and we have some great prizes so
(14:54):
that everybody earns regardless. So if you can just hit
that low one fifty mark, any he can hunt, you're
in fun Raise, You're in. You're gonna already You're already
going to start earning prizes. So that's good. Again, Yes,
that's just the starting and the next year you can
be like Doug.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
But after he shares those tips, I think I need
to have on the radio show.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah, he's he'll talk your ear off, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Now, Lisa, what are the most some of the most
common costumes Any fun easy last minute costume ideas for
someone who's going to do a five k with your
next Sunday for the LA Cancer Challenge. Easy last minute
costumes for Halloween.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
People love to run into twos. We two twos, superheroes, kate.
Anything that's easy, you know, easy and fun to move
around and is all good with us.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
We my honey and I could come as cats. We
have a lot of cat ears in my house. Crazy
crazy cat people.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
That's perfect. That's crazy cat people. That's very fitting. We'll
take all the crazy cat links.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Can we come as daughter fans? Come on, it's a
good time to be a dog fans.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Tom, that's a great idea. I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Dodger fans, LA Kings fans. What are uniforms? Are chargers?
Fan about uniforms? You got in your closet? Hey, that
could work. That could qualify as a Halloween costume. We're fans.
That's that's a costume. Might just make a little extra fun.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
It's a perfect October costume.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
What's this that you do? Also at the LA Cancer
Challenge next Sunday? How do you honor survivors and pay
tribute to those that we've lost? You do something special
at the walk?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Yeah, we do. We do a We do a couple
of things. First, we do a team tribute video where
all the teams that are created have the opportunity to
submit photo or two and it's all part of a
video that we play before the walk begins. And then
each year we honor an honorary We honor a patient
(16:49):
with the title of being the Honorary Starter, And this
year we have a pancrad a cancer survivor named Tom
Ray was a nine year survivor. He's going to get
up on that start for say some inspirational words before
everybody takes off and we blow that start horn. So
those are really the moments where you are out there,
(17:10):
you've gotten up early, you've got your running shoes on,
and you see it. You see a man or woman
up there who is living with the disease, who has
fought the disease, who's giving you that inspiration before you
take off around the school, and it really reminds you
why they're there and hopefully gives you that inspiration to
make it to make it to the finish line. Donut wall, Sure,
(17:31):
so you got the motivation at the beginning, the donut
at the end. But yeah, yeah, last year, last year
we had a twenty five year survivor Roberta Luna. She'll
be back as well. But it's Tom whose words are
going to start us off this year, and we couldn't
be more thrilled about that.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
So it's a few thousand people coming together next Sunday
UCLA Campus for the twenty seventh annual La Cancer Challenge.
That'll be Sunday, October twenty seventh, nine am start time,
So get out there even earlier. Start you know, looking
at checking out your Halloween costume competition, see how you're
going to be up against. And bring the family, bring
the kids. You got that Deir free Fit Family Expo,
you got the candy Candyland kid Zone and Halloween activities
(18:12):
for all ages, and just a great day, a great
reason to bring people, bringing people together, raise a bunch
of money, have a good time, and learn more about
this disease and what we can do about it exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, I just wanted to just share that it's at
Ussel and the start is at Wilsome Plaza, which is
right near the Annenberg Soccer Fields below the iconic jam steps.
Very easy to find, we have great directions on our website.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
And again, Lisa Manheim, thank you. So much for all
that you do year round. Your passion is unwavering and
all your hard work so you're making that magic happen.
You and the team over there at the Heirsburg Foundation,
So thank you for all that you do. And to
find out more and get your costume and get your
butt on down there for the five k run walk
next weekend, next Sunday. It's La Cancer Challenge dot com
(18:58):
La Cancer Challenge dot com COMO. All right, yay, yeah,
we'll see us.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Thank you,
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