62 SEENA MAGOWITZ FOUNDATION Pancreatic Cancer Warriors doctors with her improved condition as well as her friends and family, who refused to let her quit. “It’s amazing to me – I used to be fearful and anx - ious anytime I had to travel to Arizona to get scans,” O’Connor said, noting that, rather than rattle off statistics and sobering prognoses, Dr. Von Hoff always had something new up his sleeve. “Now, I feel excited, because I know he’s always working to come up with a new way to fight this disease.” O’Connor and her expansive network of friends, fam - ily members and supporters are also doing their part in the fight against pancreatic cancer. Her parents, Randy and Judy Dobbs, have become staunch advo - cates for the cause, devoting considerable time and manpower to the Seena Magowitz Foundation and other organizations working toward finding a cure. O’Connor and her husband Patrick also lend support to a wide range of pancreatic cancer charities and causes, including Purple Pansies, an organization out of their native Georgia that works to encourage early detection of the disease and boost survival rates for those affected. O’Connor also has some words of wisdom for other young parents and patients dealing with pancreatic cancer diagnoses. “Find a doctor who won’t give you a death sentence,” she said, noting that she had never seen a doctor as dedicated to finding a cure as Dr. Von Hoff. “The biggest thing I worried about was visiting the oncologist and finding out that I had only so much time left to live. You cannot underestimate the value of finding a doctor who fills you with hope.” O’Connor also stressed the importance of having a team of doctors that would collaborate, rather than compete, with one another, and acknowledged the importance of taking life one day at a time and focusing her energy on today, rather than tomorrow. “You look at life a lot differently after a diagnosis,” she said. “You cherish everything so much more.” O’Connor also acknowledged the difficulty that often comes with diagnosing pancreatic cancer, because the condition frequently goes undetected until it has progressed enough to produce noticeable symptoms. “If I hadn’t been pregnant with Andrew, they may not have found my cancer until it was too late,” she said. “I tell him all the time he’s my angel.” “If I hadn’t been pregnant with Andrew, they may not have found my cancer until it was too late,” she said. “I tell him all the time he’s my angel.”

access to treatments today treatments today Patients have the newest Pancreatic Cancer Research & Clinical Trials at HonorHealth At HonorHealth, the pancreatic tumor board meets weekly to discuss patient cases to gain insight and expertise from all specialties. The multi-disciplinary tumor board involves oncologists, oncology nurse practitioners, surgeons, gastroenterologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, nurse navigators, genetic counselors and research nurses. Innovation and collaboration are hallmarks of the Research Institute. It’s an institute without walls, thanks to its many partnerships with researchers locally and around the world. The pancreatic team works closely with community health care physicians to ensure all physicians are a part of the multidisciplinary team to ensure the highest quality of the care for the patient. HonorHealth Research Institute offers an expanding list of clinical trials and investigator-initiated studies. Research is a team effort that encompasses not only doctors, nurses and labs, but also patients and families. The best science, combined with the best care, means that patients receive state-of-the-art care across the HonorHealth system. HonorHealth Research Institute has early detection programs for the prevention of breast, ovarian, pancreas and colorectal cancers. HonorHealth Research Institute is honored to be a part of the Seena Magowitz Golf Classic this year! We thank the Seena Magowitz Foundation for its continued support of research and clinical trials offering cutting-edge options for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Congratulations to Daniel D. Von Hoff, MD, for being honored by the Seena Magowitz Foundation in recognition for the extraordinary clinical research and influential contributions in establishing effective clinical trial designs and therapeutic interventions for the treatment of cancer all around the world and for our patients at HonorHealth Research Institute. Daniel D. Von Hoff, MD, FACP, FASCO, FAACR Virginia G. Piper Distinguished Chair for Innovative Cancer Research and Chief Scientifi c Offi cer, HonorHealth Research Institute Physician-in-Chief, Distinguished Professor & Senior Consultant - Clinical Investigations Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN), U.S. Oncology & City of Hope For more information please contact 480-323-1339 or HonorHealth.com/research