Finding out you have pancreatic cancer is shattering.
It is the deadliest common cancer. The brutal reality is that diagnosis comes far too late for most. Half of people die within three months of diagnosis.
That’s because something is missing. Unlike other cancers, right now, diagnosing people early is nearly impossible – GPs have no simple way of spotting the disease early enough for people to be saved. And research into the disease is vastly underfunded. Families are left with only hope to hold on to.
But hope is not enough. The disease must be detected sooner.
And it can be. Early diagnosis is the key to survival. Thanks to research breakthroughs, a test to detect pancreatic cancer is within reach. It would save thousands of lives every year.
Now, governments need to do more to make this a reality. More drive, more investment, more attention. So, we can give people with pancreatic cancer more than hope.
It’s time to unite, diagnose and save lives.
Finding out you have pancreatic cancer is shattering.
It is the deadliest common cancer. The brutal reality is that diagnosis comes far too late for most. Half of people die within three months of diagnosis.
That’s because something is missing. Right now, diagnosing people early is nearly impossible – GPs have no simple way of spotting the disease early enough for people to be saved.
But thanks to research breakthroughs, a test to detect pancreatic cancer early is within reach. It would save thousands of lives every year.
Now, governments need to do more to make this a reality.
David and Lucy lost their dad, Alan, to pancreatic cancer in July last year just four weeks after he was diagnosed. There was no early detection test to determine what his early symptoms were, and by the time he was diagnosed, it was too late for lifesaving treatment.
“My dad was a calm, positive person who would provide excellent advice. Anything we needed would never be too much for him. He was very fit and had more recently taken up cycling. He was still going out on rides of 60 miles just a few weeks before he was diagnosed. It made what unfolded even more of a shock.”
Alan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2024 and died four weeks later, one week after his first oncology appointment.
“When he was diagnosed, it felt like all the time we had was taken away. It was devastating. Day by day, things were getting worse. The pain intensified. He could barely sleep.
My heart broke, it seemingly came from nowhere. Dad was so healthy that Lucy and I thought we had at least 10 years left with him. It felt like all the time we had was taken away.
If there was a diagnostic test, we’d have had more precious time to make memories with him.
As it was, everything happened so quickly that we weren’t ever given a chance. We need earlier detection so people actually have a chance of treatment, but we also need better standards of care for people with this disease.”
David and Lucy have signed our open letter calling for early detection. Will you add your name too?
Share the campaign with your friends, family and colleagues. Each signature makes it harder for us to be ignored.
