Pancreatic cancer collective announces new PSA campaign with Marlon Wayans and Tiffany Haddish

The Pancreatic Cancer Collective, an initiative of the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer^® (SU2C), announced today the launch of a new public service announcement (PSA) campaign. In collaboration with SU2C Ambassadors – actor and comedian Marlon Wayans, and actress and Emmy® Award-winning comedian Tiffany Haddish – the PSA aims to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer clinical trials.

The print and radio PSA campaign launches today in English and Spanish in advance of World Pancreatic Cancer Day on November 18. The PSA will be placed across print, digital, radio and out-of-home media outlets.

Image Credit: Magic mine/Shutterstock.com

Marlon Wayans, whose credits include Respect and On The Rocks, and Tiffany Haddish, whose credits include Girls Trip and TBS’ The Last O.G., joined forces on the PSA to bring awareness to the cutting-edge treatments available through pancreatic cancer clinical trials and to increase awareness in Black communities, which have around a 30% higher pancreatic cancer incidence rate than any other racial or ethnic group.

I’m honored to lend my support to this very important campaign to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer clinical trials,” said Haddish. “It is important for diverse communities to have representation in cancer research to ensure that treatments work for everyone, so we can save more lives.”

Tiffany Haddish

“Many of us are impacted by the loss of a loved one to cancer, including myself,” said Wayans. “Last year I lost a dear friend to this disease who profoundly impacted my career and life. Her loss is part of my inspiration for becoming an advocate for taking care of your health. I’m proud to be a part of this campaign to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer research and encourage patients to learn more about clinical trials.”

Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. The Pancreatic Cancer Collective’s new campaign aims to raise awareness about treatment options and to increase diversity in pancreatic cancer clinical trials, so patients of all racial and ethnic backgrounds benefit equally from the newest cancer treatments.

“We are incredibly thankful to Tiffany Haddish and Marlon Wayans for lending their voices to this critical campaign and providing hope to pancreatic cancer patients,” said Sung Poblete PhD, RN, CEO of Stand Up To Cancer. “Our collaboration with the Lustgarten Foundation on the Pancreatic Cancer Collective continues to support our mutual efforts to accelerate pancreatic cancer research and improve patient outcomes.”

While pancreatic cancer has traditionally been difficult to treat, there are more and more long-term survivors of this disease thanks to clinical trials offering new technologies and therapies to those who need them most. Our collaborative mission to drive awareness of the incredible potential of pancreatic cancer clinical trials will help us better understand and treat this disease.”

Linda Tantawi, Lustgarten Foundation CEO

The Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer have joined forces against pancreatic cancer since 2012, jointly funding more than 400 investigators from nearly 70 leading research centers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These efforts include 17 multi-institutional teams, including Dream Teams, Convergence Teams, Research Teams and New Therapies Challenge Teams bringing together computational experts with clinical oncologists, and teams researching cancer interception—studies focused on the earliest diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, even before the cancer may have fully formed.

These collaborative teams have planned, started, or completed over 30 clinical trials and the Pancreatic Cancer Collective is building on this momentum to further push the boundaries of what can be accomplished.

The radio PSA was developed by SU2C with radio mixing by Lime Studios. The print PSA was produced by SU2C with photography by Koury Angelo and Matt Winkelmeyer.

To learn more about this PSA, visit https://pancreaticcancercollective.org/.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Collective

The Pancreatic Cancer Collective is an initiative of Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer to improve pancreatic cancer patient outcomes. Together, these leading cancer research organizations have funded 26 projects for a total of more than $108 million and are attracting new collaborators; employing big data to improve diagnosis of pancreatic cancer; finding new treatments for pancreatic cancer; and supporting the next generation of pancreatic cancer investigators.

Engaging thought leaders, researchers, institutions, and companies, the Collective is innovating and accelerating research on the edge of science. For more information, visit PancreaticCancerCollective.org.

About the Lustgarten Foundation

The Lustgarten Foundation is the largest private funder of pancreatic cancer in the world, funding preeminent pancreatic cancer researchers, driving the pursuit of bold and innovative science toward earlier detection, better treatments and transforming pancreatic cancer into a curable disease. Our mission is rooted in the belief that research is fundamental, in fact, it is the only way to produce real results.

The Lustgarten Foundation is a catalyst in the field of pancreatic cancer research—our funded science has been a driving force in every major advancement in pancreatic cancer research since 1998. The Foundation funds research where creative risks yield high rewards to accelerate and expand life-saving treatment options.

We believe time is everything to patients and their families, and that community is power. Lustgarten programs and events provide people affected by pancreatic cancer a voice and a place to create hope, together. 100% of all donations fuel the research to advance understanding of this complex, devastating and historically underfunded cancer. For more information, visit www.lustgarten.org.

About Stand Up To Cancer

Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by media and entertainment leaders who utilize these communities’ resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and to highlight progress being made in the fight against the disease. As of September 2021, more than 2,000 scientists representing more than 210 institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.

Under the direction of our Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., SU2C conducts rigorous competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and ensure collaboration across research programs.

Current members of the SU2C Founders and Advisors Committee (FAC) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N., serves as SU2C’s CEO, and Russell Chew as SU2C’s President.

For more information, visit https://standuptocancer.org/, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.