Oklahoma license plates honor pancreatic cancer victims

Colleen King, 78, developed a license plate to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and funding for research after her sister, Connie Pittman, died of the disease in 2008.

“She was my companion from day one,” King said. “It's helped my healing process. There's something different when you lose a twin ... But to be able to do this in her memory means a lot.”

Pittman, also of Oklahoma City, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2005, and King became her primary caregiver. Though Pittman was told she had an estimated three to 16 months to live, she survived for three years.

After her death, King became an advocate for pancreatic cancer awareness. The idea for the license plates bloomed when she realized it could raise both awareness and research funding.

There aren't very many survivors of the disease, she said.

“People, I guess, maybe don't talk about it, so there's not awareness of it. I think the more people know about it ... there'll be more funding for research.”

State Rep. Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa, who introduced the bill that authorizes the license plate, said she was glad to be a part of something that benefitted awareness but most importantly funding.

Peterson said $20 of the specialty tags' $35 cost will go to the University of Oklahoma Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.

Dan Brackett, director of surgical research at the University of Oklahoma's Health Science Center, said the funding will be a great benefit.

Brackett said several researchers are looking for unique elements in the blood of pancreatic cancer patients that could help doctors identify pancreatic cancer earlier.

“This could give us a screening method because there are none right now,” Brackett said.

He said pancreatic cancer usually is discovered from the symptoms, which begin once the cancer has spread to the liver.