About the Michael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation

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About the Rolfe Foundation

The Rolfe Foundation serves as a catalyst for the early diagnosis and ultimate cure of pancreatic cancer by funding advanced medical research, public awareness initiatives, and educational programs. The Foundation also seeks to increase the quality and quantity of emotional and psychological support services for pancreatic cancer patients and their families through partnerships with organizations that specialize in this type of care.

Our Goals:

Advance the development of early detection.
Just as there is an early detection test for prostate cancer, the PSA, we support researchers working to develop a similar diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer in its early stage, when it's most treatable.
Fund medical research at leading clinical and academic centers.
The number of scientific investigators with a demonstrated focus on pancreatic cancer is limited, relative to other cancers. We raise money for top-tier research institutions that can attract more scientists dedicated to pancreatic cancer research.
Provide resources for pancreatic cancer patients, their families and friends.
It's not always easy to find information about pancreatic cancer. The Rolfe Foundation is a link to people and places for answers about this disease.

Our Story:

At the age of 61, Michael Rolfe, devoted husband and father, died just two weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Like so many others, he learned of his condition after it was advanced to the point of being untreatable. His family and friends, devastated by their loss, decided that a fitting tribute to Mike's legacy would be to find new ways to fight this disease.

Mike's story is not unique. Recently, the American Cancer Society projected that in 2008, approximately 38,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death.

Pancreatic cancer initially presents few symptoms and can take months to diagnose.

Surprisingly, only a handful of scientists concentrate solely on this disease, and because there are relatively few survivors there are no large-scale national organizations that exclusively fund pancreatic cancer research. In fact, pancreatic cancer research gets relatively little government funding -- $33.1 million, or 0.8% of the National Cancer Institute's total cancer budget.

This is why private funding is so important. The Michael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation is among a handful of organizations that raises money specifically for pancreatic cancer. We identify scientific programs focused on early detection because the sooner pancreatic cancer is caught, the better the prognosis. Detection of this illness is often difficult and living with it can be taxing for patients and family members alike. With your help, we can raise awareness and encourage more research and better treatments to fight this disease.

In addition, we are among the few organizations to promote support services specifically for pancreatic cancer patients and their families. They have unique needs that require specialized attention. By partnering with organizations that are already experts in working with cancer patients, we are building new programs to reach more people touched by this disease. We hope to use these programs as a template for initiating similar ones throughout clinics, hospitals and cancer centers across the nation.

Mike's Experience

My husband Mike and I had a love affair that lasted 45 years. We married at the tender ages of 21 and 19 respectively, lived a healthy and full life, and were blessed with three wonderful children and five grandchildren.

Mike was an "other centered" person. He was a mentor to many; friends and colleagues have told me over and over again how important Mike was in their lives and how he encouraged and listened to them in good times and bad. He was an active participant in many charitable groups and a leader throughout the Chicago region. He set high standards for himself; he was a lifelong learner.

At age 55, Mike returned to graduate school to earn an MBA at the University of Chicago. He had boundless energy and a wonderful mind. He was such a loving and devoted husband and father. He was a man of integrity and good deeds. He loved life and everyone he encountered.

October 12, 1998 changed our lives forever. My husband suffered a mild heart attack, followed by bypass surgery and ten hospitalizations over the next six months for strokes, deep vein thrombosis (blood clots), fluid in his lungs, and other ailments. The physicians in charge of his care were dedicated doctors, but at a loss for what was causing this healthy man to suddenly fall apart.

It wasn't until two weeks prior to his passing that the cause finally had a name -- pancreatic cancer. At that time, the cancer had spread to his lungs. From then on, Mike's vital organs began failing one by one.

Our entire family searched for answers from the medical staff, the Internet, and finally research institutions across the country. It was too late for my husband. I lost my beloved soul mate, our children lost their devoted father, our young grandchildren, a loving doting grandfather, and our friends and his business colleagues, a cherished confidant and mentor.

We all are committed to learning more about pancreatic cancer and to assisting the state-of-the-art research team in the Early Detection Laboratories at Johns Hopkins to battle this deadly disease. We learned that there is a prevalence of Eastern European Jews that are at risk for pancreatic cancer (50-65 is the prevalent age group affected) and it is generally believed that there is a hereditary risk factor.

When the disease is diagnosed, it is usually too late. We need to continue to look for ways to detect the disease early on, learn more effective ways to treat it, and hopefully find a cure for this deadly cancer.

We have endowed the Michael Rolfe Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Johns Hopkins Medical Center to fund continuing research on this disease, particularly in the domain of early detection. We are also proud to support Northwestern Memorial Hospital and other institutions who can provide an array of services specifically for pancreatic cancer patients and their families.

Mike's family and friends are committed to fighting this disease and to making a difference for others. We encourage and welcome you to join us in the fight against this deadly disease.

Judy Rolfe
Andy Rolfe, Lisa and David Burik, and James Rolfe

Learn About Us

Michael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation

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