PADUCAH, KY - Local residents are turning Western Kentucky purple on Sunday, September 30 to call attention to one of our nation’s deadliest cancers – pancreatic cancer.

PurpleLight National Vigil for Hope is an effort by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the national organization creating hope in a comprehensive way through research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure, to honor those who have fought pancreatic cancer and celebrate survivors, while raising community awareness about the devastating disease. 

The Paducah event at the Borders Room of Lourdes Hospital's Marshall Nemer Pavilion on Sunday, September 30 at 7:00 pm. Pancreatic cancer survivors and supporters are invited. This event is one of 60 PurpleLight vigils taking place across the country with thousands expected to turn out in honor of a loved one or friend.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is the only major cancer with a five-year survival rate in the single digits at just six percent. This year, nearly 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and more than 37,000 will die from the disease. In fact, 74 percent of patients die within the first year of diagnosis. There are no early detection methods and few effective treatment options exist. 

Contact Carol Foreman of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network of Western Kentucky at 270-217-2328, or visit www.purplelight.org for more information.