A family with Cincinnati ties wants patients and their families grappling with a pancreatic cancer diagnosis to experience the gift of time.

The family of Greg Lawton has established the Gregory E. Lawton Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center to advance research with the goal of improving patient outcomes. This generous gift honors the memory of the former Cincinnati resident and Procter & Gamble vice president. The Lawtons are grateful for the care Greg received following his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, specifically, an early-phase clinical study credited with extending his life.

While pancreatic cancer is not the most common type of cancer in the Greater Cincinnati area, it is the deadliest. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in the 10 counties that account for 80% of patients at the Cancer Center, pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate among common cancers.

Our family had 18 glorious months post-treatment that a lot of people don’t get. We really hope, going forward, that more people get at least that. They gave Greg a very slim chance of making it two years and he lived over the two-year mark.

Anna Lawton

Nationally, the NCI reports that more than 66,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2024. It ranks as the third leading cause of cancer death in women and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men. The Cancer Center is trying to change that grim statistic by connecting researchers and clinicians to translate basic science findings to the bedside more quickly, so patients have more treatment options available to combat this disease.

“Our family had 18 glorious months post-treatment that a lot of people don’t get,” said Anna Lawton, Greg’s wife. “We really hope, going forward, that more people get at least that. They gave Greg a very slim chance of making it two years and he lived over the two-year mark.”

This gratitude inspired Anna and her son, Nate Lawton, also a former Cincinnati resident and the chief business development officer at Chipotle, to support the Cancer Center. As the region’s only academic health system offering phase 1 (first in-human) clinical trials, the Cancer Center gives patients access to new therapies unavailable elsewhere. These breakthrough treatments provide better outcomes and the promise of more second chances. 

The Gregory E. Lawton Pancreatic Research Fund will:

• Provide necessary resources to basic and clinical researchers to explore novel, untested ideas, bringing pancreatic cancer-specific studies to the next level of progress.
• Allow scientists to leverage research findings into applications for larger federal grants. 
• Foster cross-disciplinary collaboration with internal and external partners so clinician-researchers can quickly translate findings into new therapies to improve patient outcomes.
• Offer pancreatic cancer research opportunities for University of Cincinnati students.

“It was a great privilege to know Greg and care for him during his cancer journey,” said Jordan Kharofa, MD, a UC Health physician and professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UC College of Medicine. “He was a thoughtful individual and single-minded in lifting others. His family’s generous investment mirrors this focus and will impact our research capabilities to fight this deadly disease.”

The Lawton family’s philanthropic support will directly impact our community as it allows us to advance clinical research and increase treatment options for our patients. We’re incredibly grateful for this tremendous gift.

Syed Ahmad, MD University of Cincinnati Cancer Center co-director and professor in the Department of Surgery at the UC College of Medicine

The Cancer Center has earned a national reputation for its expertise in pancreatic cancer research and clinical care. Its leading researchers regularly initiate or participate in national clinical trials, including most recently being the first Midwestern site to join in the mRNA pancreatic cancer vaccine trial.

“The Lawton family’s philanthropic support will directly impact our community as it allows us to advance clinical research and increase treatment options for our patients,” said Syed Ahmad, MD, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center co-director and professor in the Department of Surgery at the UC College of Medicine. “We’re incredibly grateful for this tremendous gift.”

This is how breakthroughs happen