Aug. 3, 2017 | After losing their wife and mother to pancreatic cancer three years ago, the Moix family felt compelled to act.

“We wanted to honor my mom’s memory, and also help others who are living with this disease,” said Michael Moix of Conway. To this end, the Moix family established the Mary Jane Moix 5K to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research. The second annual race was held April 29 in Conway with about 250 runners and walkers participating.

On Aug. 2, Moix, along with his wife, Mylissa, and father, Frank, presented $10,000 from the race proceeds to Peter Emanuel, M.D., director of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and professor in the UAMS College of Medicine.

In addition to this donation, the Moixes has pledged an additional $10,000 per year for the next four years to the Cancer Institute, all to support the pancreatic cancer research program.

“Pancreatic cancer is particularly challenging because it’s often diagnosed in the late stages when treatment options are limited. This generous donation will support testing of people who have a family history of pancreatic cancer, in an effort to improve early diagnosis,” said Emanuel.

Also representing UAMS at the check presentation were Issam Makhoul, M.D., professor and director of the Medical Oncology Division in the UAMS College of Medicine, and Kent D. McKelvey, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and genetics in the UAMS College of Medicine and director of Cancer and Adult Genetic Services.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the average 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is 8.2 percent. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United States, claiming an estimated 43,090 lives in 2017.