Our impact together
Celebrating everything we've achieved together in 2022/23
A look back at 2022/23
In the past year, thanks to our incredible supporters our impact has been greater than ever.
Over 85,000 supporters joined us during this time, whether through fundraising, campaigning, volunteering or raising awareness.
Read on to find out how, together, we were able to accelerate progress for people affected by pancreatic cancer by funding more research, providing more support and influencing more change.
Bringing about critical breakthroughs in early diagnosis and treatment research
Last year, we invested more than ever in research bringing our total investment in research to date to £12.5m. We invested £2.2m in grants and £1m in research support. And, what’s more, every £1 that we invested in research, generated another £7 of support from other funders – multiplying our impact on pancreatic cancer research. And people with experience are at the heart of what we’re doing, with over 400 people affected pancreatic cancer helping to shape our research activities.
We also made huge progress in finding new ways to test for pancreatic cancer. This year, we invested in the world’s first breath test for pancreatic cancer devised by a team at Imperial College London, led by Professor George Hanna. The first blood test for the disease, developed through our Early Diagnosis Research Alliance, is being tested in the USA. Together, these exciting developments could save thousands of lives every year by helping GPs to identify people who urgently need further tests.
We’ve also awarded a Career Progression Fellowship to Dr Petros Mouratidis at the Institute of Cancer Research to investigate whether combining histotripsy, a cutting-edge technique that targets pancreatic cancer cells through highly focused ultrasound and immunotherapy could improve treatment outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer.
Transforming care everywhere
Last year, over 50,000 of you signed our No Time to Wait petition to demand faster diagnosis and treatment and 130 MPs, peers and MSPs participated in the campaign and in Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month events.
12 Cancer Alliances now implement diagnostic pathways for pancreatic cancer, thanks to the guidance we helped develop.
Overall, we invested £1.8 million in campaigning and raising awareness. This included our Unite, Diagnose, Save Lives campaign in which supporters like Mihika demanded earlier diagnosis to improve outcomes for people like her husband Jay.
“Jay could have lived longer or been able to do more if he’d been diagnosed earlier. It would be amazing to have a quick [early detection] test.” – Mihika
Increasing access to, and engagement with, our services
In 2022/23 we continued to help more people affected by pancreatic cancer access the information and support they need. Over 800,000 people accessed our online information, which provides tailored support to those dealing with pancreatic cancer themselves or have been closely affected by pancreatic cancer.
Our specialist pancreatic cancer nurses responded to more than 5,000 calls and emails, giving people vital support as well as the knowledge and confidence to manage their symptoms, treatment plan and any side effects, improving their quality of life.
Our online support sessions were attended 378 times. These sessions covered topics such as coping with symptoms, and managing nutrition, helping people to navigate their experience of pancreatic cancer. Everyone who joined an online session said it helped them feel less alone and better informed about their loved one’s diagnosis.
And we continued our important work supporting health professionals. We reached more than ever with specialist information and training on pancreatic cancer treatment and care. 1,287 healthcare professionals attended our training sessions and online courses and among those who gave feedback, 90% said they had increased their knowledge after attending one of our events.
Linda from Cumbria who has been using our services since she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021, says
“The Support Line is so much more than support. Each and every nurse is so friendly, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of pancreatic cancer.” – Linda
Supporting breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer
In 2022/23, our reach was bigger than ever before. As well as an incredible number of new supporters joining us, our following on social media grew by 8%.
We also achieved 1,219 pieces of coverage online, of print and via broadcast coverage, reaching millions of people and raising awareness of the cause and our charity. To ensure we can support people affected by pancreatic cancer now, and future research breakthroughs, we continue to find new ways for people to fundraise for us, inspired by our inventive and inspirational supporters while building on successful initiatives.
Together, we’ve raised an amazing £11.5 million, which will help us towards taking the vital next steps towards change. It’s only because of you, our incredible supporters, that we’ve been able to achieve all of this.
Together, we’re making vital progress and saving lives.
Thank you.