A Friend in Need
- Reality TV star Brandi Glanville, 48, is heartbroken over her best friend Mark Hasche’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and is calling on her friends and fans to help if they can.
- Hasche, Glanville’s former roommate and stylist, is alone in a Florida hospital where he is receiving emergency treatment for the disease, and currently does not have health insurance.
- A leading expert from MD Anderson Cancer Center tells SurvivorNet why pancreatic cancer is hard to catch early, and that only 20% of patients qualify for surgery.
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Read MoreHasche, who was Glanville’s stylist and roommate at one time, will start intense chemotherapy treatment immediately and will remain hospitalized. “The doctors told Mark that after surgery he would undergo 3 types of very strong chemo all at once.”
The single mom of two expressed that Hasche was affected by COVID-19 as many other have been, and lost his health insurance.
“I don’t want Mark coming out of this (AND HE WILL) and stressed about all of his medical and personal bills while under going chemotherapy. Mark is my angel and soulmate & if I had the funds I would pay for everything myself but I just don’t,” she said.
Glanville acknowledged that it’s a difficult time to be asking for financial help because so many are suffering, but asks followers to at least share the message.
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Hasche is alone at a hospital in Florida and unable to have visitors. He will be in the ICU for the next two to three months with a feeding tube. “A lot of you know how much Mark means to me. He is my other half a bright shining star in my life, my partner in crime & part of my family. I need Mark to live and get the absolute best care.”
I’m raising money for Mark Hasche Pancreatic Cancer Medical expenses. Click to Donate https://t.co/L6siSeJZ64 @Jillzarin @KyleRichards @Teresa_Giudice @MsVivicaFox @Andy @KimRichards11 @YolandaHadid Please donate or Share😚
Brandi Glanville (@BrandiGlanville) March 17, 2021
Glanville was the adored troublemaker on the RHOBH show, and graced the small screen for 10 years following her divorce from actor Eddie Cibrian, who famously moved on with singer LeAnn Rimes during his marriage to Glanville. Glanville and Cibrian share custody of their two children, Mason, 17, and Jake, 13, and luckily things have smoothed out with Glanville and Rimes who have worked to get along for the sake of the boys.
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Challenges to Screening for Pancreatic Cancer
It’s often difficult to diagnose pancreatic cancer early. By the time patients come in with symptoms, the disease is often too advanced to treat. The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen. Since it is in the abdomen, it’s hard to tell issues specifically within the pancreas. The fact that Hasche is able to have surgery could be a good sign, since only about 20% of individuals with pancreatic cancer will actually qualify for surgery.
“By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it’s often very late in the stage of the disease,” Dr. Anirban Maitra from MD Anderson Cancer Center tells SurvivorNet.
Each year in the United States, about 53,000 patients get pancreatic cancer, “And unfortunately, most will die from this disease within a few months to a year or so from the diagnosis,” he says. “And the reason for that is that most individuals, about 80%, will actually present with what we called advanced disease, which means that the cancer has either spread beyond the pancreas or into other organs like the liver, and so you cannot take it out with surgeries.”
Hopefully Glanville will report some good news soon on Hasche’s prognosis.
Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early is Crucial
During a cancer diagnosis, especially where things are moving extremely fast like in Hasche’s case, the last thing a patient or their family should have to worry about is how they are going to pay the bills for these life-saving surgeries and treatments. Yet, unfortunately it’s a common story, but there is help out there if someone is able to help advocate for you.
“Financial planning in the setting of cancer is the most stressful thing. It’s right up there with ‘how long am I going to live?'” Dr. Nina Shah from UCSF medical center tells SurvivorNet. “The first thing you have to do is recognize your limitations. We always want you to feel that you were able to get the care you needed to get.”
If you have have limited to no funds, especially due to the current global pandemic crisis, there will be someone at your hospital who can help you or a family member navigate different opportunities for people in need.
“The best way to look at this and find the resources that are available is to speak with the social worker associated with that practice,” she says. “Because that person usually knows what resources are available and what you can do to access them or apply for them and where you may or may not qualify to receive them.”
How to Get Help With the Cancer Bills
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