"Bryan could light up a room."

When asked to describe Bryan Irwin, his family and friends most often remark on the joyful, magnetic personality of a man devoted to those he loved. Bryan radiated warmth and had a generous spirit that could make even strangers feel special. He was always ready to share a lighthearted comment or “Irwin-ism” to brighten someone’s day.

When Bryan was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer, he connected with Pancreatic Cancer Canada (PCC) to ensure he explored all avenues available to him for treatment. He also talked with PCC about the future of pancreatic cancer medicine – clinical trials and treatments that he knew wouldn’t necessarily benefit him but would help other patients in the years to come. Bryan became interested in the PCC-supported clinical trial PASS-01, which aims to further personalized medicine for advanced pancreatic cancer patients like him. He wanted to know how he could help. 

Since Bryan’s passing, his family and friends have come together to honour his legacy by supporting the PASS-01 clinical trial, led by Dr. Jennifer Knox at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. This trial addresses a serious gap in our understanding of the disease: doctors currently don’t know enough about the different subtypes of pancreatic cancer to determine which of the two leading chemotherapy treatments might actually help an individual patient, and which novel therapies might make for more effective options.

Using genomic analysis and cutting-edge organoid technology, PASS-01 aims to determine potential predictors of patient response to chemotherapy. To advance personalized medicine, PASS-01 will explore the identification of specific biomarkers that indicate which patients respond better to one treatment or another, which will help doctors get the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. 

If you wish to join Bryan’s family and friends in supporting pancreatic cancer research in his memory, please consider making a donation to the ground-breaking research of the PASS-01 trial by clicking the “Donate” button under the video or on the right. 

If you wish to do more and rally others in your network to support this exciting research, please consider becoming a PASS-01 Champion. Learn more by contacting Ali Hodgins at ahodgins@pccf.ca. 

For more information on pancreatic cancer risk factors, sign and symptoms, treatments, and more, visit www.pancreaticcancercanada.ca.