Remembering Astronaut Sally Ride Who Passed from Pancreatic Cancer 9 Years Ago Today; What Are the Symptoms of this Disease?

Ride died on July 23, 2012, following her battle with this disease and the world mourned an incredible loss. She was an inspiration to so many, particularly women of all ages, for whom seeing a woman excel in a historically male-dominated field as Ride did, felt so empowering.

The Los Angeles native joined NASA in 1978. In 1983, she became the first American woman in space. (Globally, she was the third woman in space, following Valentina Tereshkova and Svetlana Savitskaya.) Ride was not only an astronaut, she was also a physicist.

Detecting Pancreatic Cancer

Ride passed from pancreatic cancer at age 61 after a relatively private battle with the disease. This type of cancer is a particularly aggressive one, which can make it harder to treat. Ride’s fight with pancreatic cancer lasted 17 months.

Related: It May Be 2 Years Since Aretha Franklin Died of Pancreatic Cancer But Her Star Still Shines Bright; Being Inducted In National Women's Hall of Fame

In an earlier interview, Dr. Anirban Maitra, the co-leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains how and where this disease begins, and the need for early detection.

"So the pancreas is an organ in your belly. And this is where pancreatic cancer arises," says Dr. Maitra. "Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen, it often doesn't have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas."

Related: Steve Jobs Died Nearly 10 Years Ago From Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (pNETs); Treatment Advances Since Have Been Significant

"By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it's often very late in the stage of the disease. Each year in the United States, about 53,000 patients get pancreatic cancer," says Dr. Maitra. "And unfortunately, most will die from this disease within a few months to a year or so from the diagnosis. And the reason for that is that most individuals, about 80%, will actually present with what we called advanced disease, which means that the cancer has either spread beyond the pancreas or into other organs like the liver, and so you cannot take it out with surgeries."

Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial

Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis

Dealing with a diagnosis like pancreatic cancer or any type of cancer typically elicits feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, depression, and even grief. Ride was an active woman, and she may have felt a sense of grief following her diagnosis. After a cancer diagnosis, many might grieve the loss of plans they had for the near and far future.

Related: Treating Depression After a Cancer Diagnosis

In an earlier interview, Dr. Scott Irwin, the director of supportive care services at Cedars-Sinai, addresses confronting and coping with any grief that may present. He says, “Grief comes in waves. It often gets better over time, but at certain days, it can look like depression.”

“And other days, people look perfectly normal and can function. They’re grieving the change in their life, the future they had imagined is now different. In cancer care, sometimes, we’re actually forcing some body changes that are beyond what would be normal aging, and that can be even harder for people to deal with where they don’t feel like themselves.”

Help is available, though. Seek out a therapist, psychologist, or oncological social worker who can provide support and help you sharpen your emotional tools in your toolkit, so you’re better prepared for the journey ahead.

Dealing With Grief After a Cancer Diagnosis

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