More than 57,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and over 1,000 of those new cases will affect people living in South Carolina. As the state's third leading cause of cancer death, this disease is expected to take the lives of more than 800 South Carolinians in 2020.

This year, TV legend and Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, civil rights icon John Lewis and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be counted among the 47,000 Americans killed by pancreatic cancer, serving as a stark reminder that no one is immune.

Because pancreatic cancer is seldom diagnosed until it has reached a later stage, spreading awareness and education of this cancer type is crucial to improving outcomes for patients living with this complex disease. That's why days like today, which is World Pancreatic Cancer Day, are so important to highlight this aggressive and often overlooked cancer type.

By bringing together the best minds across a variety of scientific and clinical disciplines and supporting young investigators, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is dedicated to getting the latest research advances into the clinic as quickly as possible to improve treatments and outcomes for patients affected by this devastating disease. Check out this video to learn more about how Hollings is fighting back against pancreatic cancer.

Hollings researchers are testing a new targeted approach for delivering chemotherapy to patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer in hopes that it will be more effective in shrinking and stabilizing certain types of tumors.

Previous safety trials found that median survival rates nearly doubled from 14 months to 28 months.

Dr. Thor Johnson, lead investigator for the study, says, "From my personal experience and the extraordinary data from the first trial, I would be surprised if this is not standard of care in five years for this indication."

Help us raise awareness of pancreatic cancer this month by wearing purple, donning a purple ribbon and sharing stories of the ways in which pancreatic cancer has touched you or a loved one. Join the digital conversation by sharing photos of how you're raising awareness using the hashtag #HollingsGoesPurple on your social media channels.

Each year in honor of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Hollings typically hosts The Talbot Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Reception for pancreatic cancer patients, survivors and their families. This informational event, which shares the latest findings in research, diagnosis and treatments, is supported by the generosity of the Talbot family in memory of the Honorable Francis F. Talbot, who was a Federal Administrative Law Judge of Mount Pleasant, SC. The family also established the Hon. Francis F. Talbot Endowment for Pancreatic Cancer Research fund in his memory.

While this year's event has been canceled due to COVID-19, the family invites you to share a picture of yourself wearing purple on your social media accounts using the hashtags #wpcd and #pancanforprogress.

For more information on how you can get involved in the local fight against pancreatic cancer and learn about volunteer opportunities, please contact the Talbot family at southcarolina@pancanvolunteer.org.