In Support of The National Familial Tumor Registry

From the Desk of Michael Landon, Jr.

In Support of The National Familial Tumor Registry

Dear Friend:

We haven't met yet, but we have one very important fact in common: our lives have been drastically affected by pancreas cancer. (For me, it was losing my father, who passed away after several fulfilling years as a TV actor.) Although the cause of this terrible disease is not known, some forms of pancreas cancer seem to run in families. So, sad as this may be, you and I may be an important part of the search for a cure.

That's why I'm writing today to you and other families whose loved ones have been stricken by pancreas cancer, to encourage you to enter your family in the National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry. Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the world's most respected medical centers, established this Registry in order to determine a cause.

You probably want to know what's involved with the Registry and what you'll need to do. It's really pretty simple and only requires the time it takes to answer some vital questions regarding your family medical history. Like everyone else, I can think of a lot of other things I would rather do than fill out forms or answer questions. But let me assure you that our input is critical to the evidence gathering that can often lead to a cure. Like all battles, it can spell the difference between victory and defeat.

Once tragedy strikes, it's painful to ask what we might have done. Especially, when it's something small that could have made such a huge difference. This is your chance to contribute ... before it's too late. The medical information gathered by the Hopkins staff could be just the vital link, that one piece of the puzzle, that causes the gates of a final solution to swing fully open.

I hope that you'll see the value of the Registry, and recognize that with just a small measure of cooperation from all of us, we could be part of a future cure for the very cancer that has affected our lives so deeply. I urge you to participate. With our prompt response - and I promise to do it with you - we may be in time to save a wife, husband, child, or a father. It's worth a little of our time, don't you think?

Sincerely,
[Signature of Michael Landon,
Jr.]
Michael Landon, Jr.

P.S. Please also consider helping to support the Registry and its efforts by sending a tax-deductible contribution. You can mail a check payable to The Johns Hopkins University to: The NFPTR, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Pathology, Weinberg/Room 2242, 401 Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231-2410. They need our support!