Late race announcer's wife champions pancreatic cancer screening

Known as the “Voice of Summer” for his wit, enthusiasm, and dramatic flair in inspiring runners on their final sprint across the finish line, Mark Gilhuly, the legendary race announcer, was also a veteran of 24 marathons and over 50 triathlons.

This week saw two developments relating to Gilhuly, who died last September of pancreatic cancer at age 69. One was the announcement that the one-mile Family Fun Run preceding the Father’s Day Branford Road Race will take Gilhuly’s name.

“Mark was a beloved Branford resident, long-time runner, and announcer for many of the area’s races,” said Branford Road Race founder Ray Figlewski. “We wanted to honor his legacy and contributions in this way.”

The other was a piece of state legislation, Senate Bill 7, establishing a pancreatic cancer screening program championed by Gilhuly’s wife Linda Kowalski, a long-time lobbyist at the State Capitol. Last Wednesday night, the House passed a sweeping health care equity bill which includes the creation of a pancreatic cancer screening program within the Department of Health. Provided it passes the Senate this week, it will go to Gov. Ned Lamont where, the hope is, it will be signed into law.

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Connecticut, and third nationwide. Fewer than one in 10 patients survive five years beyond diagnosis.

That’s where Senate Bill 7 comes in. “We hear the phrase often, but it bears repeating,” said Kowalski. “Early detection saves lives.”

In floor statements in the Senate on May 22, State Sen. Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) referred to the “devastatingly low” five-year survival rate due to late diagnosis.

“For a person diagnosed at stage 1, there is an 80 percent survival rate, but most of the time by the time it’s diagnosed it’s a stage 4, and we are looking at tragedy as opposed to prevention,” he said. Early detection through screening, he said, means high risk groups, including those with family history or BRCA mutations or some syndromes, can undergo an endoscopic ultrasound to predict the risk of pancreatic cancer.

In his remarks in the House on May 29, State Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford), sounded a similar refrain. “It’s a cancer that is so difficult because if it’s not detected early so often it’s a death sentence,” he said. “This is one area where in the long run we would ultimately save money.”

The legislature adjourns on Wednesday, June 4. Having passed the House, S.B. 7 is back before the Senate this week. “The expectation is that it will pass and the hope is that the governor will sign the bill into law,” Kowalski said.

Highlighting new data showing a troubling spike in pancreatic cancer among younger women, as well as the disproportionate impact of the disease in underserved communities, Kowalski is asking citizens to contact Governor Lamont to signal their support for S.B. 7.

“Mark always wanted to make people feel better, and that didn’t change when he was struggling,” Kowalski said. “This bill, in saving lives and helping patients and families, is his legacy.”

To contact the governor to sign into law Senate Bill 7 to support pancreatic cancer screenings, visit https://portal.ct.gov/governor/contact-the-governor?language=en_US.