COURTESY LA'REUANCE ALLEN

La’Reuance Allen with her Father Laurence. Laurence died March 24, 2017 of pancreatic cancer.

La’Reuance Allen will never forget that day in 2017 when her mom called to tell her she needed to go visit her father Laurence at the hospice house.

“I could tell in her voice that [something] was going on, so I had to prepare myself,” said Allen, a volunteer with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in Charlotte affiliate.

On Dec. 26, 2016, Laurence Allen was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The doctors noticed his eyes were jaundiced, an early sign for pancreatic cancer. The disease had quickly spread from his pancreas to his liver and stomach.

In February 2017, he began chemotherapy, but the doctors could tell it was not slowing the spread. When Allen visited Laurence, she could tell he was in the “transitioning state” and it was going to be his “last hour.”

He died March 24, 2017.

In honor of her father, Allen, 40, began volunteering with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to help raise awareness for the third-leading cancer related death in the United States.

What is pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer occurs in a long, flat gland behind the stomach. The pancreas’ main job is to produce enzymes, help with digestion, and regulate the body to process glucose. When this is interrupted, a person may experience stomach pain, loss of appetite, mid-back pain, unexplained weight loss, or changes in their stool.

“Today, it’s colon and lung cancer that causes more deaths, so our organization was created because it is a rare cancer,” said Mark Weber, co-founder and director of the Charlotte Pancreatic Cancer Alliance. “So many people don’t know about it. It needs more notice and attention.”

In the United States, Black people have the highest incidence rate of pancreatic cancer, according to data by the National Cancer Institute.

History and Black Charlotte
Throughout history, pancreatic cancer has taken a toll within the African American community claiming the lives of Ralph Ellison, Lorraine Hansberry, Aretha Franklin, and John Lewis.

In Charlotte, Mecklenburg County manager Harry Jones, and former WBTV reporter and Johnson C. Smith University director of public relations C. Vanessa Baxter died from pancreatic cancer. In 2013, John Lyles, the husband of Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, also lost his battle with the cancer.

“I think when you have a disease that is rare, but yet you have a number of high-profile Charlotteans who get it, it helps to bring visibility,” Weber said. “And the fact that both Vi Lyles lost her husband and Harry Jones was so visible, I think it helped to also cause a lot of us to look at what does the Black community know about pancreatic cancer.”

Charlotte serves as a hub for the pancreatic cancer community, with several organizations focused on spreading awareness. Even though it is considered rare, pancreatic cancer affects more than 60,000 people in United States in a year compared to about 104,000 colon cancer cases per year.

African Americans are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer and they are often diagnosed at an advanced stage according to the American Cancer Society.

Cigarette smoking, which is the cause of about 25% of cases, is more common in Black people and therefore may partially explain why the cancer is more common among them. Other illnesses that are common in the Black community that can increase a person’s risk of the disease are type 2 diabetes, obesity, and pancreatitis.

Because the pancreas is hidden behind the stomach, it is much harder to detect on tests and exams, therefore it often goes unnoticed and is diagnosed at a later stage.

“That’s one of the major problems with pancreatic cancer is there are no screening tests for pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. David Iannitti, chief of the division of hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery and the director of surgical operations for Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute Morehead. “With many cancers we can screen them with blood work, you know tumor markers. There are two markers for pancreatic cancer but they’re not specific, and sensitive enough for screening purposes for pancreatic cancer.

By knowing the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, it could help people catch it early and possibly prolong their life.

Allen, who was a “daddy’s girl,” said Laurence was fond of making people laugh.

“He was very funny,” said Allen, who was named after him. “He was a jokester; he was my jester.”

As an advocate for pancreatic cancer, Allen hopes more African Americans become more educated on the deadly condition.

“Keep up with regular appointments and learn and know the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer,” she said.

This year, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network will be approaching its 10-year anniversary of the PanCan Purple Stride in Charlotte. On April 30, survivors, families, caregivers, researchers, and supporters will gather at Central Piedmont Community College’s Belk Plaza and across the nation to honor those affected by the disease and raise money for research, patient services, government advocacy, and community engagement.

Aaliyah Bowden, who covers health at The Post, is a Report for America corps member.

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