x
Breaking News
More () »

Aretha Franklin's battle with cancer inspires Atlanta woman battling similar form to share story

"I cried real hard, because it makes you think about what you've been told, and time frames that you've been told."

Aretha Franklin touched the world with her one-of-a-kind voice.

Her death also raises awareness about her battle with a very rare form of pancreatic cancer - a similar form that Pam Pinkard of Atlanta is battling.

Pinkard told 11Alive's Ashley Johnson she was devastated when she learned of Franklin's death.

"I cried real hard, because it makes you think about what you've been told, and time frames that you've been told, and how many years she got," Pinkard explained. "And then I was scared."

She said Franklin's death compelled her more than ever, to share her battle.

MORE | Atlanta remembers 'soulful' Aretha Franklin

PHOTOS | 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin

Each year, roughly 45,000 Americans are expected to die of pancreatic cancer, which is nearly 7 percent of all cancer deaths. Only 8.5 percent of people with pancreatic cancer survive five years.

The Queen of Soul beat odds, but she had a neuroendocrine tumor in her pancreas, which is even more rare. Pinkard has the same form of cancer, but in her liver.

"The battles have been just terrible," she said. "There's no educational awareness, there's not a lot of doctors who know about the disease. You have to be such an advocate for your own health because the doctors just don't understand."

Pinkard hopes Franklin's life, and ultimate death, will help to raise awareness for many reasons because it's hard to find a specialist who treats neuroendocrine cancer.

"They want you to travel to all these different countries, universities - people just don't have the money to pay for it," she explained.

Sadly, Pinkard said her doctors told her she's at the point where they've exhausted all of their resources. But she said by raising awareness, hopefully this form of cancer - while rare - will get more funding and research.

Before You Leave, Check This Out