It's already the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., according to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and it's projected to become the second-leading cause by 2020.

• The risk factors include family history, obesity, diabetes and smoking, the group says — but it's also up to 61% more common among African-Americans than among whites, Hispanics and Asians.
• Mortality rates are dropping for lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers, according to the American Cancer Society — which is one reason pancreatic cancer is so high on the list.
• There has been some progress against the specific kind of pancreatic cancer Franklin had, as Matthew Herper writes in a smart piece in Forbes. It was the neuroendocrine type, according to the statement from her publicist. A drug called Afinitor has had some effect on that kind of cancer, Herper writes.
• But the big problem is that pancreatic cancer is almost never detected early. Unlike other kinds that have seen more progress, like breast or prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer usually isn't detected until it's too late for surgery or other treatment options, according to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Upon hearing the news of Franklin's death, tributes came pouring out.

• Barack and Michelle Obama: "America has no royalty. But we do have a chance to earn something more enduring... For more than six decades since, every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine."
• President Trump: "She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific." He later added that she was a "great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!"

The bottom line: The progress against most kinds of cancer has been slow, but it has been especially slow against the kind that took Aretha Franklin from us.

Go deeper: Jesse Jackson on Aretha Franklin's quiet but profound civil rights legacy (Detroit Free Press); the N.Y. Times' obituary, by Jon Pareles

By the numbers: Of the five key voter subgroups we're tracking ahead of the midterm elections:

• White suburban women and "Never Hillary" independents are closely split on Trump's gun policies.
• A narrow majority of rural voters approves of Trump's policies, while African-American women and Millennials strongly oppose them.
• All five subgroups overwhelmingly oppose 3D-printed guns.

The National Rifle Association has regained some support since the Parkland school shooting earlier this year: 48% of Americans now have a favorable opinion of the organization, while 50% have an unfavorable opinion.

• That's compared to the 44% favorability rating the group had shortly after the shooting, according to an earlier SurveyMonkey poll.
• Among the five voter subgroups, 56% of rural voters and 53% of NeverHillary independents have a favorable view of the NRA, while 53% of Millennials have an unfavorable view. White suburban women are closely divided, and eight out of 10 African-American women oppose it.

Gun owners are strongly against the 3D-printed guns, too: 76% oppose making the blueprints available. By contrast, 58% of gun owners approve of Trump's gun policies, and 66% have a favorable impression of the NRA.

• Among people who don't own guns, 87% oppose 3D-printed guns, 66% oppose Trump's gun policies, and 66% also have an unfavorable impression of the NRA.

Between the lines: The poll is another example of how Trump's overall job approval rating tracks closely with public opinion on his policies, just as our Axios-SurveyMonkey poll last week found that people's support for his immigration policies matches how they feel about his presidency.

What to watch: We'll be revisiting the five voter subgroups and their views on different topics each week in the run-up to November's votes.

Methodology: This analysis is based on SurveyMonkey online surveys conducted Aug. 8-10 among 2,096 adults in the United States. The modeled error estimate  for the full sample is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points. Sample sizes and modeled error estimates for the subgroups are as follows:

African-American Women (n=103, +/- 10.5), Millennials Age 18 - 34  (n=349, +/- 6.5), White Suburban Women  (n=414 , +/- 7), NeverHillary/Independent voters  (n= 131, +/- 12), Rural  (n= 469, +/- 6.5). Respondents for this survey were selected from the more than 2 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. More information about our methodology here. Crosstabs available here.