The Linda J. Verville Cancer Research Foundation is an all volunteer organization operated for the purpose of raising funds to support innovative cancer research. Currently, the Foundation is focusing on pancreatic cancer research funding because although Linda was able to battle three types of cancer for seven years, she lost her life to pancreatic cancer. Currently, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death and has the highest fatality rate; nevertheless, research support ranks last of all major cancers. Our goal is to change these grim statistics and bring hope to pancreatic cancer patients and their families.

To date we have raised over $375,000 to fund pancreatic cancer research. Recipients of funds from the Foundation include:

• Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer • Center, where a fund has been established in Linda Verville’s honor to fund pancreatic cancer research
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (a.k.a. PanCAN)
• Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research
• UMass Memorial Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, where a fellow has been 
  created in her name.
• Johns Hopkins University, Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Lab

The Linda J. Verville Fellow, James Carroll, MD, at the Umass Cancer Center, has already enrolled 51 patients in the Pancreatic Cancer Proteomics Project. Dr. Carroll continues to recruit individuals with pancreatic cancer in a bid to identify accurate biomarkers for use in diagnosis and in prediction of patient response to therapy and surveillance.

The Foundation also supports the research of the Bardeesey Laboratory at the MGH Cancer Center, focusing on understanding the genetic program for pancreatic cancer initiation and progression using mouse models that resemble the human disease.

The Foundation is a tax-exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions are deductible to the extent provided by law.