100 Questions & Answers about Pancreatic Cancer: .

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Dr. Eileen M. O’Reilly is an Associate Member of the in the GI Medical Oncology service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.'Dr. O’Reilly received her medical degree at Trinity College (Dublin University) in Ireland, where she was born.'She completed her residency training in Ireland and Fellowship training at MSKCC and has been a faculty member in the GI Oncology service at MSKCC since that time.'Dr. O’Reilly has pancreatic, biliary, neuroendocrine and primary liver cancers as the major focus of her clinical and research activities.'Research initiatives include integration of molecular-based therapies for the treatment of pancreas cancer along with development of adjvuant and neoadjuvant therapy.'At a national level, Dr. O’Reilly is a member of CALGB’s GI committee and also participates in RTOG and ACOSOG.'Dr. O’Reilly’s insitutional administrative commitments include participation in MSKCC’s IRB, Research Council and Clinical Council and Medical Board.'Dr. O’Reilly is also the current President of the MSKCC medical staff.

Joanne Frankel Kelvin has been a nurse for over 25 years and has a bachelors and masters degree in nursing. Her clinical specialty is oncology nursing, and she has worked as a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, and a nurse manager. Since 1987, she has worked at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, specializing in the care of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies, including pancreatic cancer. She has counseled patients and families, individually and in groups, in making decisions about treatment, managing symptoms of disease and side effects of treatment, coping with cancer, and planning for end of life care. While maintaining an active clinical practice, she has been involved in numerous professional activities: participating in national committees, publishing book chapters and journal articles, presenting at local and national conferences, and developing educational materials for patients.

John R. Harty resides in Newport Beach, California, with Kathleen, his wife of 37 years. They are the parents of two married children as well as twins who are sophomores in college. John has retired after a career of senior general management positions in Fortune 500 companies as well as privately owned business. John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April 2000 in California; he went immediately to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas for treatment. After chemotherapy and radiotherapy, successful Whipple surgery was performed in August 2000. John returns to M. D. Anderson at regular intervals for testing, all of which have shown no signs of the cancer recurring. He is able to live a full and normal life with no restrictions on diet or activities.

Joy McCully was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2000. Her 3 cm tumor was removed by Whipple surgery, which was followed by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a second round of chemotherapy. In January 2002, new tumors appeared on the iliac bone and around the bladder, so Joy once again had chemotherapy with radiation and is currently in ongoing chemo treatments. Before diagnosis, Joy says, "I had a frenetic life as a real estate agent; it took a serious cancer to 'give me permission' not to work. I know I'm one of the lucky ones to still be here with this disease, and I try to bask in every day."