Dr. J. Bart Rose delivers his testimony to the Senate Special Committee on Aging on Nov. 15, calling for greater federal funding for pancreatic cancer research.
UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Center Director and surgical oncologist J. Bart Rose, M.D., MAS, recently testified on the state of pancreatic cancer at a Nov. 15 hearing with the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging.
The meeting was led by Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, who heard the testimonies of Rose and other witnesses including Steve Cook, Hillery Head and Lynette Nall. These testimonies highlighted stories from the families of pancreatic cancer patients and discussed the importance of early detection, of support from the National Institutes of Health and of developing better therapies to treat pancreatic cancer patients.
Dr. J. Bart Rose
Throughout the hearing, Rose, Cook, Head and Nall discussed the challenges associated with pancreatic cancer once a family member, friend or patient has been diagnosed. Rose explained that large disparities in outcomes and access to life-saving operations affect the rates of survival for pancreatic cancer patients in Alabama. The panel, including Rose, argued that investing in medical research at the national level – specifically, establishing a new, $10 million Pancreatic Cancer Research Program within the U.S. Department of Defense – is the key to improving those rates.