Pancreatic Cancer

Luciano Pavarotti, who possessed one of the most radiant tenor voices to be heard in the past hundred years and who enjoyed a level of popularity unequaled since the legendary Enrico Caruso, died early today in his hometown of Modena, Italy. He was 71. Mr. Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent surgery in July 2006. Last month, he was admitted to a Modena hospital, reportedly with a fever. After about three weeks of tests and treatment, the singer returned to his home, where he was cared for by local doctors, according to Italian news reports.

Dr. M. Larrie Blue, a retired Baltimore pediatrician whose career spanned more than 40 years, died Monday of pancreatic cancer at Sinai Hospital. He was 77 and had lived in Stevenson. "It was fitting that he died at Sinai Hospital, where he spent most of his professional career," said his wife of eight years, the former Sima Rosenthal. Dr. Blue was born in Baltimore and raised in the city's Pimlico neighborhood. He was a 1948 graduate of City College and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in 1952.

After serving as the basis for the movie Invincible, Vince Papale inspired again last night. Papale, a former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and special teams player, was honored at the 29th annual Ed Block Courage Awards at Martin's West. Accepting a special Courage Award, Papale encouraged men over the age of 45 to get tested for cancer. "It's not that bad, guys," he said, adding that he is a survivor of colorectal cancer. "I was almost invisible, not invincible." Portrayed in the film by Mark Wahlberg, Papale tried out for the Eagles at the age of 30 in 1976 and made the team's active roster, becoming the oldest rookie in NFL history.

Lord Lewin, 78, the former British defense chief who masterminded Britain's defeat of Argentina in the Falklands Islands war in 1982, died Saturday of stomach cancer. Lord Lewin is widely regarded as persuading former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to order the sinking of the Argentine cruiser Belgrano during the 1982 conflict.The Rev. John Osteen, 77, f ounder of one of the largest and most diverse churches in Houston and a popular television pastor, died Saturday in Houston of a heart attack.

William T. Fields, 52, founder of the telecommunications company that evolved into industry giant MCI-WorldCom, died Saturday of pancreatic cancer in Tupelo, Miss. Mr. Fields was best known for his role in founding Long Distance Discount Service in June 1984. He was one of nine original investors in the company, which took advantage of AT&T's divestiture of its Bell companies in the early 1980s.Bradford Grow, 89, retired pioneer of naval aviation and decorated veteran of the Guadalcanal campaign, died Thursday in O'Fallon, Ill. He was a retired rear admiral.

Alex Lowe, 40, regarded by some as the world's best mountain climber, was killed by an avalanche Tuesday as he scouted routes on the upper slopes of Tibet's 26,291-foot Shishapangma, the world's 14th-highest peak.A.L. Owens,68, who wrote dozens of country music hits, died Monday from a heart attack in Nashville, Tenn.Amalia Rodrigues,79, the Portuguese singer whose passionate performances of the country's brooding "fado" music took her to worldwide fame, died Wednesday in Lisbon, Portugal.

Richard Marius, 66, a scholar of the Reformation, novelist and speech writer who ran the Harvard Expository Writing Program for 16 years, died Nov. 5 at home in Belmont, Mass. The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his wife, Lanier Smythe.Pat McMullen, 54, a former Washington state House Majority Leader and state senator, died Friday in Mount Vernon, Wash., of cancer.Jacob Glick,73, a violist admired for his championship of new music and his performances on the Baroque viola d'amore, died Monday at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.

Barry L. Benton, 53, systems program analystBarry L. Benton, who was employed as a systems program analyst at the Health Care Financing Administration and earlier had worked for the Social Security Administration, died Nov. 4 of pancreatic cancer at his Ellicott City home. He was 53.Mr. Benton had worked at HCFA since 1987 and had started his career at SSA as a file clerk in 1969, becoming a systems program analyst.Born in Easton and raised in Stevensville, where he graduated from high school, Mr. Benton had lived in Ellicott City since 1978.

Harold W. Ezell, 61, the co-author of California's controversial Proposition 187 and a vocal advocate of immigration reform, died of liver cancer Tuesday in Newport Beach, Calif. He helped draft Proposition 187, which sought to eliminate publicly funded education and most health care services to undocumented immigrants. The measure passed in November 1994 but was later ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.John R. Williams, 88, who helped propel Republicans to statewide power and was the first Arizona governor to serve a four-year term, died Monday in Phoenix.

A Carroll County three-judge panel refused yesterday to reduce Sara Elizabeth Citroni's sentence of two life terms for the murder of a Westminster woman and her boyfriend in July 1993.Citroni, 20, of Reisterstown requested the sentence modification June, hoping the judges would reduce it enough for her to begin therapy and vocational programs at the Patuxent Institution.Her current sentence, imposed in September 1994 after Citroni pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy, prohibits her involvement in Patuxent's programs.

Francis A. "Frank" Conlon, a retired credit manager and history buff, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer at his Cockeysville home. He was 63. Born in Baltimore, Mr. Conlon was raised on Beech Avenue in Wyman Park and Homeland. He was a 1964 graduate of the now-closed Baltimore Institute and earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1968 from the University of Baltimore. He had worked for nearly a decade as credit manager for Belair Road Supply Co. Inc. before retiring earlier this year because of failing health.

Pancreatic cancer has been in the news recently. Last month, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor from her pancreas. That same week, actor Patrick Swayze, who was diagnosed with the disease about a year ago, wrote a letter to Congress urging increased funding for research. The pancreas is a large organ that secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars. While cancer of the pancreas is not as common as other cancers, it is particularly virulent, says Dr. Armando Sardi, director of the Institute for Cancer Care and head of surgical oncology at Mercy Medical Center.

Thomas Edward Rice Sr., a Baltimore County firefighter and volunteer firefighter, died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care. The Perry Hall resident was 44. Known as "TR," Mr. Rice was born in Baltimore, the son of a Baltimore firefighter, and raised in Loch Raven Village. After graduating from Loch Raven High School in 1983, he attended what was then Catonsville Community College for several years. Mr. Rice waited five years until he was finally selected to fill one of the 30 slots - 1,000 had applied - at the county fire academy in 1988.

NCAA president Brand has pancreatic cancer colleges NCAA president Myles Brand said yesterday that he has pancreatic cancer and his long-term prognosis is "not good." Brand, 66, has led the governing body of college sports since 2003. He disclosed his condition in a written statement to colleagues on the final day of the NCAA convention in Oxon Hill, which he was unable to attend. He said he learned of the diagnosis "very recently." "I have pancreatic cancer," the statement said. "The long-term prognosis is not good.

The children of a 62-year-old Indiana woman are trying to pressure a Maryland biotech company into treating their mother's pancreatic cancer with an experimental drug not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The three daughters of Connie Loughman held a news conference at their parents' Indianapolis home yesterday, pleading for access to the drug. They have launched a video on YouTube devoted to their mother's plight and set up a Web site asking people to e-mail executives at Gaithersburg's GenVec Inc., which is testing the promising cancer treatment.

GEORGE D. WARRINGTON, 55 Amtrak president George D. Warrington, a former Amtrak president who presided over the introduction of the national passenger railroad's high-speed service in the Northeast, died of pancreatic cancer Monday, said an NJ Transit spokeswoman. Mr. Warrington later went on to lead New Jersey Transit.

Dr. M. Larrie Blue, a retired Baltimore pediatrician whose career spanned more than 40 years, died Monday of pancreatic cancer at Sinai Hospital. He was 77 and had lived in Stevenson. "It was fitting that he died at Sinai Hospital, where he spent most of his professional career," said his wife of eight years, the former Sima Rosenthal. Dr. Blue was born in Baltimore and raised in the city's Pimlico neighborhood. He was a 1948 graduate of City College and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in 1952.

Luciano Pavarotti, who possessed one of the most radiant tenor voices to be heard in the past hundred years and who enjoyed a level of popularity unequaled since the legendary Enrico Caruso, died early today in his hometown of Modena, Italy. He was 71. Mr. Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent surgery in July 2006. Last month, he was admitted to a Modena hospital, reportedly with a fever. After about three weeks of tests and treatment, the singer returned to his home, where he was cared for by local doctors, according to Italian news reports.

Jacqueline Ann Byrne, an administrative assistant at Anne Arundel Community College, died May 5 of pancreatic cancer at her Severna Park home. She was 66. Born Jacqueline Ann Sommer in Cincinnati, she graduated in 1958 from Mother of Mercy High School there. In 1960, she married Thomas E. Byrne, who survives her. The family moved frequently throughout the 1960s because of Mr. Byrne's service with the Marine Corps. In 1969, the Byrnes moved to Severna Park, where Mrs. Byrne worked as a secretary for several doctors' offices and the YMCA, her husband said.

After serving as the basis for the movie Invincible, Vince Papale inspired again last night. Papale, a former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and special teams player, was honored at the 29th annual Ed Block Courage Awards at Martin's West. Accepting a special Courage Award, Papale encouraged men over the age of 45 to get tested for cancer. "It's not that bad, guys," he said, adding that he is a survivor of colorectal cancer. "I was almost invisible, not invincible." Portrayed in the film by Mark Wahlberg, Papale tried out for the Eagles at the age of 30 in 1976 and made the team's active roster, becoming the oldest rookie in NFL history.