Ahead of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November, Alison tells us more about her mum’s experience of pancreatic cancer, and why she believes that research could transform the future for people affected by the disease.

“We were all on a family holiday when I realised that something was seriously wrong. Mum had been feeling unwell for a while and had visited her doctor two or three times. The doctor had tried to help, given her various pills and told her not to worry.

“We just thought she was under the weather. But while on our holiday, she kept going to bed early and saying she did not want to go out with us for the day. Then one morning, mum was so unwell that she couldn’t get up for breakfast. By the time we all got home, mum’s skin and the whites of her eyes had turned bright yellow. So we rushed her to hospital.

“At first the doctor thought that her gall bladder had become blocked or something similar; and we hoped that it was something that could just be ‘put right’. We thought she could have an operation of some kind, and that would solve it. We were pretty ignorant about those sorts of symptoms, really.

“When she was in hospital, they did lots of tests. I went in to see mum and I tried to speak with the doctor, but I just could not pin him down and get a direct answer. I was just told that they had to do more tests. Then I started to suspect it was something very serious.

“I do appreciate that doctors have an extremely difficult job, to give the worst news to people. But when mum was told that she had advanced pancreatic cancer, she was alone in the ward. No family members there, and not even a nurse was with her. Her hospital bed was by a big window and I remember mum saying that she felt as though the doctor had picked her up and thrown her against it. She was then left alone again. I think that was unforgivable.

“This was a time when no-one had mobile phones. So my mum had to scrabble around trying to find the right coins for the hospital pay phone to call my sister. We were all devastated by the news, as you can imagine.

“My family and I then went to the hospital, and the doctor told us that mum had between two and six months to live. He was very cold. It was such a shock to be told that there was nothing that anybody could do to help.

“Then, the sister was very kind to us, she sat with us and made us all a cup of tea. She said she knew how serious this was and how difficult it was to deal with. She felt that mum would be much better off if she was cared for in a local hospice. At that time, mum was living independently and my dad had been dead for four years. We agreed that going into the hospice was the best thing to do.

“Two of the major emotions I remember were absolute shock and disbelief. There had been no cancer in our family. You hear about these diseases, but you never think it will ever happen to you or a member of your family. I don’t know why you think that, maybe it’s a sort of survival instinct. You just think we’ll all just fade away of old age.

“My sisters and I were absolutely devastated to lose mum. It was very sad for my two sons as well, they were very shocked. My mum was a very strong woman and had a big personality. She was fun and very loving. She was the heart and soul of the whole family. One thing mum asked me before she died was to promise her that we would always stick together, me and my sisters, because she worried that when she was gone, we would lose our connection because we all lived far away from each other. We haven’t drifted apart, we still see each other all the time.

“In the early seventies, I did a play about a young woman with breast cancer. At that time, if women found a lump they would often just ignore it. They didn’t think it could be something serious, or they were shy about reporting it. Just think about how things have progressed since then. Now, mostly as soon as a woman finds a lump in her breast, she will go straight to the doctor and report it. There are also screenings, which have made a huge impact.

“But pancreatic cancer almost feels like the ‘forgotten’ cancer. It really feels as though next to nothing has changed for people with this disease in the 21 years since mum died. When people are diagnosed when the cancer has spread into other parts of the body, they can still only expect to live for as long as mum could all those years ago. In this day and age, I think that is pretty shocking.

“I think we need to all know the symptoms of this horrible disease, visit our doctor if we are worried, and talk to them about pancreatic cancer. But the biggest problem is that, over the years, so little has been spent on pancreatic cancer research compared to other cancers. This has to change, so that people can be diagnosed earlier and have a better chance of living for longer. I wouldn’t want any family to have to go through what we did, but the fact is, they will have to if we don’t raise more funds for pancreatic cancer research.”

To sign up to Pancreatic Cancer UK’s Purple Alert campaign this pancreatic cancer awareness month, visit www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/pcam

This is why we launched our Clinical Pioneer Awards, a funding opportunity that called on health professionals and researchers to develop and test promising and innovative ideas to transform the diagnosis, treatment and care of people affected by pancreatic cancer. We called for ideas that could ultimately lead to improvements in quality of life and patient experience, not just in the long-term, but for families dealing with pancreatic cancer right now.

With £50,000 in funding from our Clinical Pioneer Awards scheme we’ve seen major progress in the treatment of pancreatic cancer at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest centres for complex pancreatic cancer surgery in the country.

The current treatment pathway

Patients with pancreatic cancer typically present with jaundice due to obstruction of the bile duct. Treatment of jaundice requires investigations and procedures which are not only invasive, but also put patients at risk of infections and complications. These complications often require hospital admission and intravenous antibiotics, which not only delay the possibility of curative surgery but also increase clinical costs to the NHS. Furthermore, doctors will often wait for test results before considering referral to specialist pancreatic teams — these tests may prove inconclusive and can lead to further delays in the pathway. Overall, the current patient pathway from diagnosis to eventual surgery takes between six weeks to two months.

Through our funding, specialist surgeon Keith Roberts undertook a pilot project aiming to reduce the time taken for patients to move from diagnosis to surgery, through implementing a new ‘fast-track’ surgical pathway. This new pathway aimed to quickly move pancreatic cancer patients with jaundice through to surgery without pre-operative treatment, and was facilitated by a Clinical Nurse Specialist which gave the added advantage of close contact and ensured each patient received high-quality care throughout their experience.

Increasing surgical success rates

The results of the pilot project were published in HPB Journal and found that implementation of the fast-track pathway reduced time from CT scan to treatment by a quarter that resulted in increased numbers of patients whose surgery was successful by around a fifth (22 per cent). Patients on the fast-track pathway underwent surgery within 16 days on average as opposed to 65 days for patients who underwent stenting. This meant that 97 per cent of patients who were eligible for surgery went on to have the treatment successfully, compared to a current average of 75 per cent of eligible patients.

There was also a clear benefit in healthcare cost in the fast-track group of patients, which was mainly due to savings made by cutting out the treatment for jaundice before surgery, as well as reducing complications and hospital readmissions after surgery. In implementing the fast-track surgery pathway, the team was able to save the NHS around £3,200 per patient.

What next?

Early surgery without stenting is possible within the NHS and increases the likelihood of successful resection. It is also associated with reduced costs in NHS. By reducing the time to surgery, it appears that more patients undergo potentially curative surgery and this could improve long-term survival of pancreatic cancer which has seen very little progress in treatments since the early 1970s.

The fast-track pathway has been welcomed by a range of clinicians, including surgeons, gastroenterologists and radiologists, from both the referring units and receiving unit in Birmingham. It should be possible to expand the pathway locally and to spread the pathway nationally, providing the knowledge of its existence is widened and practical issues with implementation are addressed.

It is hoped that at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust the pathway will be permanently funded and available for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the results of the pilot are being shared far and wide in the hope that more trusts will roll it out and consultants will use it.

More research is now needed to investigate the impact of the pathway on long-term outcomes and to see if the pathway could be implemented further across the NHS, but in the short term this work has had major impact in transforming the outlook for patients in Birmingham with operable pancreatic cancer.

In the future, savings made through implementing the fast-track pathway could be used to employ a Clinical Nurse Specialist to make long-term implementation of the fast-track pathway possible, as well as providing support to patients. This also has the potential to bring additional savings through reducing emergencies and unnecessary admissions.

It is only with the generosity of our supporters that we have been able to fund research like this, and aim for many more breakthroughs in the future. www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/donate

I’m an honest person, I’m also a 5ft 3 lady who is scared of heights, so yes I admit I did find elements of Tough Mudder tough. Again, if I’m being honest, laughing in the water, the mud tunnels and when trying to jog probably didn’t make the event any easier — but although challenging, it was a challenge worth facing.

Word spread around the office that a Pancreatic Cancer UK Tough Mudder team was being formed. One by one, staff members encouraged each other to join team ‘Tough.’ A final team of eight was formed and before we knew it, we were taking part in a team photo shoot!

As a team we managed to raise more than £2,000. It felt good to be the event participant for once, instead of the event organiser and give back to Pancreatic Cancer UK in a different way. The main thing that gave me drive on the day was knowing that my family and friends had donated a lot of money to see me get absolutely covered in mud!

As a proviso of reaching our fundraising target, our Head of Policy and Campaigns, Kevin (AKA King Kev!) was required to wear a purple wig throughout the entire course. The purple wig managed to complete Tough Mudder without a spec of mud on it — extremely surprising considering the wearer (and everyone else in the team) was covered from head to toe!

The day of Tough Mudder:

It was a typical event morning. You wake up and remember what you’ve signed up for, then you take a deep breath and deal with your decision. I put my Pancreatic Cancer UK running t-shirt on and some ‘Tough’ face paint and I was ready to go.

We all travelled together, which really helped the nerves and added to the anticipation. The team shared a nervy smile and a very short vacant hug, we took a few photos and were ready to goooo! We didn’t know what to expect and really didn’t know what we had put ourselves forward for, especially with, admittedly, very little training.

So we set off…a crazy orange starter flare surrounded every inch of our vision. So not only we weren’t fit enough, we also couldn’t quite see the start line…the smell was horrific and we broke into fits of laughter.

We began to lightly jog into the woods, along the uneven ground, up and down the hills — trying our best to stay together. The bright colours on our faces and t-shirts definitely helped us keep track of one another — Kevin’s large purple wig was particularly easy to spot!

Obstacles:

We eventually arrived at a very hefty wall, it was our first of 13 challenges to complete. I won’t go into details, but getting the team over the wall involved a lot of very close and potentially compromising positions, personal space became a non-existent luxury! But we made it over with strength we didn’t know we had, endurance that we kept throughout, a few bruises in places you shouldn’t get bruises and the biggest smiles ever.

I would say my favourite obstacles had to be the Block Ness Monster and the Mud Mile 2.0.

The Block Ness Monster involved us jumping into a freezing cold pool with rotating hurdles. We scrambled over the hurdles and struggled through the pool. It was as challenging as it sounds, but we worked as a team and once all eight of us completed the obstacle we were laughing, high-fiving and all incredibly proud of each other.

The ‘Mud Mile 2.0’ involved dragging your body through thick runny mud for a mile (the challenge is in the name). Surprisingly, it was the most outrageously fulfilling experience. We were completely covered in mud and having the time of our lives.

After 12 obstacles we finished with the ultimate challenge, ‘Everest 2.0’. This slick quarter pipe was over 15 feet tall, with a recurved top. The aim was to sprint up it, fling yourself into mid-air and hope someone likes you enough to grab your hand and pull your body weight up a wall — strange but a great way to find out if your work colleagues like you, thankfully mine seemed to. I somehow managed to compete the obstacle on the first go, but we were determined to get everyone over the wall and after a couple of attempts we were all over the wall and jumping with joy.

Full of Mud, Sweat & Smiles:

As a team of eight, we were every type of fitness level. Some with amazing endurance and some with a small amount, a couple with the perfect ‘tough’ physique and some with a wimp of a muscle (that’s me), a few with stamina that would blow your mind and most of us with very little.

My point is that it really doesn’t matter how fit you are, it is an obstacle course that is for all abilities — and if you’re finding an obstacle tough, a nice fellow ‘tough mudder’ will throw you over the wall or pull you through the mud — it’s a team event after all. So yes, Tough Mudder really is tough, the obstacles and mud will really challenge you. But by working as a team anyone can conquer the course.

Sign up now to join TEAM TOUGH!

People with the six less survivable cancers in England are almost five times less likely to survive beyond five years, compared with patients with one of the 11 more survivable cancers, a new analysis shows today. People with the more survivable cancers have a 64 per cent chance on average of living beyond five years, whereas people with less survivable cancers only have a 14 per cent chance (1).

This shocking disparity has been revealed by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, on the day of its UK launch at Westminster. Five charities have joined forces to transform the future for people with pancreatic, liver, brain, lung, oesophageal and stomach cancer, united in their determination to give patients a fair chance of living for longer.

The new analysis by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce also shows that the six less survivable cancers cause half (51 per cent) of all deaths from common cancers in the UK per year; causing close to 70,000 deaths (2).

The Taskforce, which is made up of Pancreatic Cancer UK, the British Liver Trust, The Brain Tumour Charity, Action Against Heartburn and Core, says that the unacceptable prognosis of the six cancers is due to a number of factors, including a lack of research. Over the last 12 years, the six diseases received just 17 per cent of UK research funding for common cancers, with the remainder dedicated to the 11 more survivable cancers (3). Other reasons for the poor prognosis include late diagnosis, a lack of treatment options and low awareness of symptoms.

MPs, research funders, GPs and other healthcare professionals will hear at today’s launch event how the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce will drive forward change to ultimately give patients with the six diseases the same chance of surviving as those with the more survivable cancers, which include prostate, breast and bowel cancer.

John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billericay and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer, is sponsoring today’s launch event at Westminster. He said:

“It is very concerning that someone diagnosed with one of these six cancers — pancreatic, liver, brain, lung, oesophageal and stomach — has, on average, just a 14% chance of living beyond five years after their cancer is detected. Whilst over the last 40 years the five-year survival rate has almost doubled for breast cancer and prostate cancer, these six less survivable cancers are more or less as deadly as they were in the 1970s.”

“The APPGC’s success in getting NHS England to focus on Clinical Commissioning Groups’ one year cancer survival rates should encourage earlier diagnosis for all cancers. However, we need to do more to ensure that these less survivable cancers receive the appropriate attention, particularly when it comes to research funding, improving diagnosis and treatment.”

The Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce is now calling on MPs, policy makers, research funders, GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and patients and families, to help it achieve its goal by:

• Increasing investment in research
• Raising awareness of the symptoms of the six less survivable cancers
• Diagnosing and treating the cancers more quickly
• Increasing the number of clinical trials and treatments approved
• Setting targets with Government to improve survival

To get involved and for more information about the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, visit www.lesssurvivablecancers.org.uk

That is why finding new treatment options is such a vital priority in pancreatic cancer research. But in the context of the scale of the pancreatic cancer challenge, in order to reach that goal, we must approach research into the disease in a new way. We must further understand more about the basics of the disease; how and why tumours grow and the disease spreads. We need research which makes a fresh start, and investigates the nuts and bolts of the disease. Once we further understand that, we can begin to pinpoint the processes in the disease that need to be targeted in order to put a stop to its spread. That is the first crucial step in creating new treatment options for patients.

Searching for clues

A team of researchers at the University of Southampton, funded by Pancreatic Cancer UK, the Masonic Samaritan Fund and PLANETS Charity, have been investigating the complex processes which take place inside the body of a pancreatic cancer patient. They have uncovered some intriguing clues which could help us solve the mystery of how pancreatic cancer cells move around the body.

The team looked at a particular substance called αvβ6, which sits on the surface of pancreatic cancer cells. The researchers, led by Dr Jo Tod, identified for the first time a link between this substance and another called Eps8, which is found in over 70 per cent of pancreatic cancers.

Dr Tod and her team found that a high level of Eps8 can help certain cancer cells to move — encouraging the spread of the disease — by working with αvβ6. The team also discovered that a low level of Eps8 helped αvβ6 to ‘wake up’ another substance in the body called TGF-β, which is known to be an important player in the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer. TGF-β can both suppress tumour growth and allow cancer cells to move around the body, depending on the stage of the disease.

Significantly, the researchers have revealed Eps8 to be a double-edged sword in pancreatic cancer; a ‘switch’ which can ‘turn on’ and ‘turn off’ the movement of cancer cells by working together with αvβ6. It is now essential for us to fully understand exactly what is going on here. By doing so, we can then pinpoint which part of that process should be the target for a new treatment.

Another piece of the puzzle

There is still so much that we do not understand about how and why pancreatic cancer develops and progresses. Research like this is truly crucial in helping us to get closer to the development of new treatments in the future.

These results have opened up a very promising lead in our battle against this disease. I hope that the pancreatic cancer research community will take up the baton passed on by this research team, and join us in taking on pancreatic cancer together.

Pancreatic Cancer UK donated over £47,000 to the University of Southampton research thanks to a grant from the Masonic Samaritan Fund, with the donation being matched by PLANETS Charity.

The full results of the research are published here in the Journal of Pathology.

By Leanne Reynolds, Head of Research at Pancreatic Cancer UK

Recognising my symptoms

I’d been suffering with upper stomach pain that had started to wake me up at night. I’d also lost a lot of weight. I was 9st 6 in November 2012 and just over eight stone in July 2013. I hadn’t been dieting, but found my appetite had changed, I would often start a meal and feel full or not want to eat it.

In September 2013 I was exhausted and noticed my eyes looked a bit yellow. I visited A&E and was told I was mildly jaundiced and to see my GP routinely. I wasn’t going to bother seeing the GP, but I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t hepatitis, as I’d just got my first tattoo.

My diagnosis and treatment

A blood test showed my liver function was very abnormal, so I was sent to Leicester General Hospital and started treatment for jaundice. But a CT scan confirmed a tumour was in my pancreas and I would need Whipple’s surgery to remove it. After surgery it was confirmed I had pancreatic cancer and the tumour was bigger than originally thought. They had successfully removed it all but still referred me for a course of chemotherapy.

Taking part in a clinical trial

I was then asked if I would consider taking part in the ESPAC 4 clinical trial, which would involve me in either receiving the current standard chemotherapy treatment (gemcitabine) alone, or a combination of gemcitabine and capcitabine. I agreed straight away and started the combination treatment in January. I completed the treatment with few side effects. I was then monitored every three months and had a scan six monthly in the first year.

It’s now been three years since my diagnosis and my last scan in November was still clear. I feel extremely fortunate to have been eligible for such a successful clinical trial. I continue to take Creon to help digest my food, but overall I have recovered well.

I had heard of pancreatic cancer before diagnosis but had no idea what the symptoms were. I believe more people could have a fighting chance against the disease if there was better awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

I was determined to stay positive throughout my treatment, and used the Pancreatic Cancer UK Support Line once when I was worried, which was very helpful. I know I run the risk of my cancer returning, but I’ve already had three precious years which is denied to so many.

I have five children. My youngest is eight, I’m a guardian for her. I’ve seen the birth of four grandchildren, which I would’ve missed if I’d not been diagnosed early. I am blessed.

Top tips on taking part in a clinical trial

Clinical trials are an important treatment option for people with pancreatic cancer. Read our top tips for taking part in a trial.

1) Get the facts

Find out as much as possible about the different types of clinical trials for pancreatic cancer and why they are important. Knowing about all the different treatment options available to you can help you in deciding a treatment that may be suitable for you.

2) Searching for trials

Use our Trial Finder to search for trials that might be suitable for you, and are near where you live. You can also ask your doctor about trials, and whether there are any that might be an option for you.

3) Find out as much as you can about a trial

If you do find a clinical trial that’s suitable for you it’s important to find out as much as possible about it. This can include finding out about the pros and cons of taking part, which you can ask the trial team about. This will help you in deciding whether you want to take part.

4) Ask lots of questions

Before deciding to take part in a clinical trial it’s important to ask questions as this will help you decide whether a clinical trial is the right option for you.

5) Support and information

You can call our specialist nurses on our free Support line (0808 801 0707) with any questions about taking part in a clinical trial. They can explain more about clinical trials and whether a trial might be suitable. Or find out more about trials on our website at pancreaticancer.org.uk/clinicaltrials.

At Pancreatic Cancer UK, we have used the election as an opportunity to influence policy by launching our General Election Manifesto. But how successful has our campaign been so far?

What are the main political parties calling for?

With all parties having now published their own manifestoes, we can see what their pledges will mean for pancreatic cancer patients. Whilst none of the political parties have explicitly referred to pancreatic cancer in their manifestoes, we are pleased to see investment in life sciences and research infrastructure, the need to address workforce shortages, increased standards of care and funding for the NHS recognised by most of the main political parties. In particular, one manifesto commits to implementing the Cancer Strategy in full by 2020, whilst another promises to implement the 28 day diagnosis target set out in the Cancer Strategy. Three promise to seek to protect research funding for the UK when it leaves the EU, including the UK’s participation in Horizon 2020. There is also a welcome acknowledgement within three party manifestoes of the importance of ensuring better access to life-saving treatments, whilst delivering best value for money for the NHS.

Whatever the election result, we will be holding the new Government to account to ensure these pledges are delivered and that they deliver for all cancers, including those with the worst survival rates, such as pancreatic cancer. Thanks to you, we can also hold to account nearly 150 candidates who have responded positively to our manifesto after you approached them about it.

You can still help…

With one week left to go before the vote, we are calling on supporters to help us reach even more candidates willing to champion improvements for pancreatic cancer patients if elected to parliament. To find out more about our campaign and how you can support it visit our General Election Manifesto page.

See more at: https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/our-blog/2017/june/our-general-election-campaign/

“Every year members of staff from mhs homes have the opportunity to nominate a charity and vote for the one they want to support for the following year. I was over the moon that Pancreatic Cancer UK was chosen for 2016 after I nominated the charity.

I have a very close personal connection to Pancreatic Cancer UK: back in November 2012, my wife Dawn was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She underwent ten hours of surgery in January 2013, followed by six months of chemotherapy. Before my wife’s diagnosis I had never heard of pancreatic cancer, and was not aware of the poor survival rates. I was also not aware of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, which, can be vague or not present in the early stages of disease hence the very poor survival rates.

I was determined to help raise awareness and money for a charity that did so much for my wife and my family.

Our fundraising efforts in 2016

Our fundraising kicked off with a bang thanks to our bi-annual sleep-out. Staff, business contacts, friends and family all slept outside our head office in cardboard boxes on a very cold night in January to help raise awareness of homelessness and money for both Pancreatic Cancer UK and Shelter.

The wonderful fundraising ideas just kept on coming throughout the year. These included:

• Two charity football matches against a local supplier
• Golf day
• Dragon boat race
• The London Triathlon
• London to Brighton bike ride
• Wear purple to work day
• Steph’s Great Wall of China walk
• I had my head shaved
• I even wore a Manchester United shirt (which was hard as a City fan)

Throughout November we supported Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Not only did we light up our building in purple, we got staff to dress in purple for World Pancreatic Cancer Day, wrote blogs and handed out leaflets on what the symptoms of pancreatic cancer were. On the last day of the month we held a fantastic Bake a Difference” event with Beth and Amy from Pancreatic Cancer UK joining us with cakes from their team. Twelve members of our staff demonstrated their amazing talent as bakers and helped to raise £290. It was a great day. Everyone seemed to enjoy tucking into these amazing creations, especially our judges.

And we didn’t stop there. We raised money at our annual staff party, visit Santa event and build a snowman competition.

In total we raised £20,000!

I’ve been so impressed with how everyone here at mhs homes has embraced Pancreatic Cancer UK and helped me raise a fantastic amount for a charity that did so much for my family.”

Our thanks go to mhs homes for their superb fundraising efforts. Congratulations also to MS Society who have been chosen by mhs homes as their charity of the year for 2017. Find out more about becoming a Pancreatic Cancer UK corporate partner.

We are absolutely delighted that our Support Line has received a nationally recognised accreditation, the Helplines Standard. Awarded by the Helplines Partnership, this quality standard recognises the development of the Pancreatic Cancer UK Support Line and the effective ways in which it meet the needs of people who require our support.

It is a huge achievement to receive this accreditation. What was once a team of one nurse with a small amount of administrative support — is now a team of four nurses, available on the phone five days a week. It is thanks to the investment from Pancreatic Cancer UK into growing the team, alongside operational development of the Support Line that we were able to go for this accreditation.

The Services Team has put a huge amount of work in to receiving this accreditation. We began with a lot of development work to ensure we are operating as efficiently as we can. Work then began on a lengthy written submission, followed by an assessment visit where the Helplines assessor listened in to calls that the nurses handled (with callers’ permission).

Our assessor commented, “During the observations that were undertaken, their [the nurses] empathetic approach was welcomed by the callers who had often been unsuccessful in accessing equivalent support or information”.

Working towards the accreditation has been a huge task for all of the Services Team at Pancreatic Cancer UK. The process has been incredibly useful and has reassured us that we are providing a top quality service to the people who need us most.

One of our Support Line callers said, “The kind words and invaluable practical advice given by all of you to me when I was facing pancreatic cancer cannot be praised highly enough. Much of the advice is still useful and you gave me the knowledge to confidently ask my doctors about relevant issues. Knowing that I could contact you with any query gave me a huge feeling of security and relief from the panic of not knowing what to do. ‘Thank you’ really doesn’t seem adequate!”

We are extremely proud to have received this accreditation on our first attempt and look forward to seeing how we develop even further over the next couple of years.

Find out more about all the support services we offer.

• This article was originally published on Pancreatic Cancer UK’s blog

We held another successful summit on Wednesday 15 February, which this year focused on ‘Inspiring Innovation’. The day brought together researchers, health professionals and people affected by the disease to hear about the progress being made in diagnosis, treatment and research.

To coincide with our Annual Summit, we also launched our new research strategy — ‘Taking on research to change the future’ — and released new statistics which show that by 2026 pancreatic cancer will become the fourth biggest cancer killer in the UK. Our new research strategy sets out how we plan to work with world-leading researchers and people affected by the disease over the next five years to improve survival rates.

Innovations in diagnosis and care

The day kicked off with a series of presentations about exciting initiatives that could lead to an earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in the future and speed up treatment for those just diagnosed including:

• Chris Harrison, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, spoke about the cancer strategy which seeks to improve cancer care and survival. One key recommendation is that everyone should either get a definite diagnosis of cancer — or have cancer ruled out — within 28 days of being referred by their GP. This is currently being tested in five sites across the UK.
• Mr Keith Roberts, Consultant Hepatobiliary and PancreaticSurgeon, talked about a programme that he is running at University Hospitals Birmingham to fast track people to surgery. The programme reduced the average time from having a CT scan to surgery from two months to 16 days.The programme found that speeding up the time to surgery improved patient experience.

Macmillan joined us on the day to talk about our ’10 Top Tips project’ to raise awareness of key pancreatic cancer symptoms, which we’ve been developing in partnership and should be available later this year. Two leaflets are being produced, one for the public and another for GPs, which aim to help increase knowledge of pancreatic cancer, its symptoms and aid rreferral for further investigations.

Advanced treatment

The summit also covered new advancements that could be game-changing in the treatment of pancreatic cancer — in particular personalised medicine. Personalised medicine involves looking at the genetics of pancreatic cancer tissue to help identify and predict which treatments will work best for each individual.

Dr Malcolm Moore, President of the BC Cancer Agency in Canada presented the findings of a recent study into personalised medicine. The study is currently looking at the genetics of pancreatic cancers, collecting data as people go through treatment and building up a database of this knowledge. We then heard from Professor Andrew Biankin, Director of Translational Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, who talked about a similar project currently being set up in the UK.

Transforming the research landscape

Throughout the day, the entries for our poster competition, which looked at innovations in pancreatic cancer diagnosis, treatment or care, were displayed in the main auditorium. In the final session, the winner, Pilar Acedo-Nunez, Research Associate at University College London, spoke about her project which looked at injecting a light-sensitive chemical to destroy tumours. Pilar’s project is still in its early stages but the findings look promising and could potentially be combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Anna Jewell, Director of Operations at Pancreatic Cancer UK, also spoke at the Summit, highlighting the need for an increase in research funding for pancreatic cancer. Anna explained that an average of six times more is spent on researching each of the four current biggest cancer killers, compared to pancreatic cancer. We shared our new research strategy video and Anna explained how we aim to address the issue of pancreatic cancer research funding.

Speaking after the summit, Alex Ford, CEO at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said:

‘It was fantastic to see so many different people from the pancreatic cancer community at the summit this year. Patients, carers, clinicians, nurses, funders, policy–makers, researchers — there was such a positive buzz from everyone, and a real sense of excitement that things can, and will, change if we all take this disease on together.’