My name is Nancy Amato.
I'm from Toledo, Ohio.
I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September of 2006.
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I did pursue treatment closer to home initially and
then we heard about the vaccine program at John Hopkins.
>> We originally developed this vaccine as an insurance policy
after surgery.
We know that the surgery can get rid of the cancer temporarily.
But we also know that most patients will have recurrence.
So our hope was to be able to vaccinate patients so
that we will activate their immune system to fight any
possible chance that the cancer might try to come back.
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>> When come in, the first thing I do is get blood drawn.
And most of that is research blood, because I've already had
blood drawn at home that shows that everything's in line, so
I am eligible for the vaccine.
After I get my blood drawn, I go straight to CAT scan,
because they need a clean scan before I can have the vaccine.
When we leave the scan room we go right to Dr.
Wahailer's office for our appointment with him.
And by the time we get there, he already has the report,
it's already been read twice.
And this is just such a relief to be able to get
results that quickly.
>> Nancy Amato's came to our attention about two and
a half years ago and she actually sought us out.
Which speaks to the fact that this is a woman who does her
research, and we've been very impressed with her
knowledge of pancreas cancer, her understanding and
just her ability to get things done and
a very great, articulate spokeswoman for this cancer.
>> They have six different injection sites for the vaccine.
>> Amato Nancy 4139- >> There's two sites in your
right leg, your left leg, and your left arm.
For the next 24 hours, these sites react like an allergic
reaction and you feel like you have a horrible flu.
You know, chills and fever and that kind of thing.
Personally, I like getting a real bad reaction.
I feel like it's working,
I feel like it's waking up my immune system.
>> Within minutes to hours of the vaccine being
injected, you can already tell that the immune system is
starting to come into the vaccine site,
that's the redness and swelling that's seen.
Within hours the immune system is already being activated
by the vaccine at that site.
And within days, the immune system is now revved up and
will circulate anywhere in the body looking for
cancer that may be trying to develop.
>> When I found out I had pancreatic cancer,
we were devastated.
I wasn't given any hope that I would survive it.
It was all very scientific, you know, these are the statistics.
If I knew then what I knew now,
I would've started at Johns Hopkins.
>> The greatest pleasure that any cancer surgeon can have is
to see their patients come back year after year,
have their checkups, and be cancer free.
It makes me feel so good to see my patients every year and
they're still doing well, and
they tell me about all the little things they're doing,
all the big goals they've set for themselves.
And cancer isn't even a part of their vocabulary.
>> I really felt it was very important to set goals.
So I set goals to attend my attend my daughter's graduation
and to attend my son's, two and a half years later.
But it was interesting after Danny graduated
in May this year, I said I need another goal.
So I signed up for a 5K for pancreatic cancer, which
anybody that knows me well, knows this was ludicrous to do.
I mean, I really hate to run.
I hate to sweat.
I'm really old and
to take up running is kind of silly at this point.
But I have children that are all into marathons and triathalons.
>> You go Nancy!
You are great.
>> This is like so awesome.
>> [APPLAUSE]
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You know what?
I did it and it felt good.
It felt so good to be out there.
I don’t want to be the miracle for pancreatic cancer.
I really wanna be the norm.
When I looked at statistics where my disease was,
there was no way I was gonna live.
So you have to hope, you have to fight.
So many people in the beginning of this, they kept saying,
what can we do?
What can we do?
Well you know at that point, I wasn't getting any good news.
People really couldn't do a whole lot, but
I said pray for us, and they did.
And I think it's a combination of all this cutting edge
research, how I got into this vaccine and
the road that led to it.
There were all these just quirky circumstances that led me here.
But I'm here, I feel like that and
these people that are prayed for me is what got me through.
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