September 15, 2009 10:14 PM
- Text
Katie Couric's Notebook: Patrick Swayze
It was a year ago this month Patrick Swayze bravely opened our historic Stand Up 2 Cancer, a three network fundraising event.
He said, "I dream that everyone diagnosed will be fortunate enough to have hope." Patrick lost a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer, but he never lost that hope.
More than 42-thousand people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year. It's one of the deadliest with the worst one-year and five-year survival rates.
I lost my sister Emily to that disease in 2001.
At Stand Up 2 Cancer, 18-million dollars has already been awarded to a dream team of doctors hoping to find answers to the mysteries this disease presents.
A leader of that team, Dr. Craig Thompson, reminds us that two thirds of people diagnosed with cancer recover and lead long, healthy lives.
It's all about reaching that other third - and eventually offering something more than just hope - better treatments, and maybe one day, a real cure.
That's a page from my notebook.
I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.
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