Widow: cash needed for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

APPEAL FOR EXTRA SPENDING

- By Richard Elias

A WIDOW is calling for increased investment into early detection for one of the deadliest common cancers.

Pancreatic cancer kills more than half of people diagnosed with the condition within three months of diagnosis.

Currently just 3% of annual UK research spending on cancer is invested into investigating pancreatic cancer.

About 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year and an average of 897 are in Scotland.

However, public awareness of the disease’s symptoms remains worryingly low.

Currently, there are not any screening programmes or early detection tests to help doctors diagnose pancreatic cancer and its vague symptoms — such as back pain, unexpected weight loss and indigestion.

As a result, 80% of people are not diagnosed until their cancer is at an advanced stage, meaning that it is too late for them to have lifesaving surgery. Survival for the disease has seen little improvement since the early 1970s.

It is estimated that by 2027, pancreatic cancer will overtake breast cancer to become the fourth biggest cancer killer in the UK. Pancreatic Cancer UK has welcomed Holyrood’s commitment to earlier and faster diagnosis in its cancer strategy with a focus on less survivable cancers.