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As a civil rights activist at 25, John Lewis was beaten so badly his skull was fractured and the TV images from an Alabama bridge in the 1960s forced a nation's awakening to racial discrimination. As a congressman today at 79, Lewis is facing a foe like none before: advanced pancreatic cancer. The veteran Democrat congressman from Georgia has fought many struggles in his lifetime. Yet, he said, “I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now," announcing Sunday in Washington that the cancer was detected earlier this month and confirmed in a diagnosis. (12/29)

Survival rates for pancreatic cancer are grim, and Mr. Lewis said his cancer was Stage 4, the most advanced. Mr. Lewis said that while he was “cleareyed about the prognosis,” doctors had told him that advances in medical treatment would help give him “a fighting chance.” “I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the beloved community,” Mr. Lewis said. “We still have many bridges to cross.” (Cochrane, 12/29)

According to the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), about 56,770 adults were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019. The incidence rate is 25% higher in black people than white people. Ashkenazi Jews also are at higher risk for pancreatic cancer, said Abushahin. Aside from individuals with genetic and hereditary considerations, individuals with a history of smoking and individuals who are overweight have a heightened risk of pancreatic cancer, according to the NCI. (Bote, 12/30)