The Adam & Jana Timmerman Celebrity Golf Outing is held each autumn to benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Program at the Institute For Science And Health. This program is one of many developed to support much needed research work on a variety of orphan diseases. The event is co-chaired by St. Louis Rams offensive lineman Adam Timmerman and his wife, Jana.

Since Adam was signed by the Rams in 1999, the Timmermans have made a significant impact in the St. Louis area community through active involvement in a variety of charitable efforts. However, their interest in pancreatic cancer is very personal. Jana's father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2002. He died from this dreaded disease within one year after diagnosis, at the age of 59. Since the time of her father's diagnosis, Jana has been actively involved with the Institute to generate awareness, research contributions, and urgency about this deadly disease.

Not many people are aware that pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all cancers. While only 3% of cancers are pancreatic in origin, it is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States . Of the 32,000+ people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, roughly 98% will die, leaving virtually no long-term survivors. The average life expectancy following diagnosis is a meager three to six months. Despite these alarming statistics, financial resources directed toward pancreatic cancer research pale in comparison to many other cancers.

The Institute For Science And Health also has a personal connection with pancreatic cancer. Subsequent to the formation of the Institute, Ann McEnroe, wife of the Institute's past-president, Jim McEnroe, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She also died within one year following diagnosis.

The survival rate for pancreatic cancer has not changed much in the past several decades, and the prognosis of the patients with pancreatic cancer remains dismal. The inability to diagnose early-stage pancreatic cancer reliably is one of the major factors that has prevented significant improvement in survival. This is partly because early pancreatic cancers are usually asymptomatic or have non-specific symptoms. In addition, radiological imaging is not an accurate diagnostic tool for early-stage pancreatic cancer.

The Institute For Science And Health believes that a positive impact can be achieved through focused educational and research efforts. Therefore, the Institute has launched a major Program for Pancreatic Cancer Research as part of its Gastrointestinal Diseases Program Initiative. The goal of this Program is to develop strategies that would allow accurate early detection and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and develop new treatment methodologies to serve as an alternative to current chemo-radiation techniques. The ultimate aim of this effort is to improve treatment outcomes and offer hope where little has existed before.

Through the Adam & Jana Timmerman Celebrity Golf Outing , and the continued personal involvement of the Timmermans and the Institute For Science And Health, efforts to conduct scientific research and generate much needed attention for this devastating disease will continue.

Event Information

For information on the 2006 Golf Outing, including sponsorship, participation, and registration information, please select the link below.

2006 Adam & Jana Timmerman Celebrity Golf Outing

For information on the previous Golf Outing including sponsorship information, please select the link below.

2005 Adam & Jana Timmerman Celebrity Golf Outing