Fmr. NBC CEO Wright: 91% of People Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer Die Within a Couple Years

Former NBC Universal CEO Bob Wright’s latest role is leading the fight against pancreatic cancer since his wife Suzanne Wright passed away from the disease in July of 2016.  Wright began The Suzanne Wright Foundation and it’s ‘Code Purple’ initiative in an effort to boost awareness and research in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Wright will head to Washington to discuss his efforts against the disease with the Trump administration.

“I will be meeting with the key senators and the new Secretary of Health and Human Services Price and I will be seeing President Trump tomorrow night.  I have the pleasure of seeing him in the Capitol as he gives his Congressional report,” Wright told the FOX Business Network’s Stuart Varney.

Wright explained why pancreatic cancer is a crisis that needs to be addressed by the government.

“The issue here is really straightforward, pancreatic cancer is a disgrace and it is killing 50-some-odd thousand people a year, it is an emergency and just has to be treated as an emergency.  It’s not impossible to solve this problem, but it has to get solved.”

Wright then pointed out a sobering statistic that showed how cruel a disease pancreatic cancer can be.

“It’s the only cancer, only major cancer, that in a state like this where 91% of the people that get diagnosed it die within a couple of years. That is just unacceptable.  And that’s going on, it’s gone on for 50 years unabated, so I think I have a very good case.

Adding to the harsh statistics of the deadly disease is the fact that even someone such as Apple CEO Steve Jobs was unable to survive his battle with pancreatic cancer.  Despite his unlimited resources to try treatments including a liver transplant, Jobs passed away in October of 2011.

Actor Patrick Swayze also passed away in September of 2009 after a 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer.