Sandra Baulkman Martin, a retired teacher, insisted that doctors perform additional tests to determine the cause of her recurrent pancreatitis. As a result, she learned at age 50 that she had stage I pancreatic cancer.

Mrs. Martin, who works as a dressmaker, had immediate surgery, called a Whipple procedure, to remove parts of her pancreas and the surrounding organs. She then underwent a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Eight years after the diagnosis, Mrs. Martin remains free of cancer.

She volunteers for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, helping to raise money for research and providing support for other patients.

Only about 9 percent of people with pancreatic cancer survive five years past diagnosis. Mrs. Martin attributes her survival to catching the cancer early, before it had a chance to spread.