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MISSOULA - A local Missoula man is traveling to Washington D.C. Sunday to advocate for pancreatic cancer awareness and research.

Ray Goeres was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007, but was able to treat the disease with surgery and a very aggressive program at Seattle's Virginia Mason Medical Center.

Goeres is traveling to Washington on behalf of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

The network would like to double the survival rate, which is currently at 6 percent, by 2020.

Goeres said it's important to fight pessimism when dealing with the disease, "The quality of my life is probably as good or better than it ever has been. People need to know first of all that there's hope. You can
survive and not just survive, but you can have a quality of life so I hope we can get that story to people."

Tuesday, June 26, is the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's national call-in. You can click here to find out how to register.