Bellevue woman part of state group to push for effort against pancreatic cancer

Published 9:21 am Friday, June 18, 2010

Maija Eerkes of Bellevue is one of 12 Washingtonians who will travel to Washington, D.C., next week to advocate for those with pancreatic cancer.

The group plans to meet with Rep. Dave Reichert, D-Eighth, to push for congressional action against what is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

Eerkes is a pancreatic cancer survivor.

The disease is considered the deadliest among the top 10 cancer killers in the United States with a five year survival rate of just 6 percent. This year, 43,120 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 36,800 will die from the disease.