Local nonprofit The Seena Magowitz Foundation was created with the hope of raising awareness of pancreatic cancer — the fourth deadliest cancer and one of the hardest to detect. Because it is often detected in late stages of development, people with pancreatic cancer have just a 5 percent chance of surviving for five years after their initial diagnosis, and it claims hundreds and thousands of lives each year.
The nonprofit was founded by local businessman Roger Magowitz, who lost his mother, Seena, to pancreatic cancer a mere five months after her diagnosis. Hoping to promote early detection that might prolong other lives, and working to raise funds for studies to prevent or cure pancreatic cancer, it is collaborating with TGen and HonorHealth to advance research.