Did you know;- Pancreatic cancer only has a 3% survival rate, that hasn't improved in forty years.
- It's the 5th most common cause of caner death in the UK
Despite both of these facts pancreatic cancer research is under resourced compared to other common cancers in the UK.
There are two charities dedicated to pancreatic cancer, Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund and Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Survival rates for pancreatic cancer are extremely low – 4-6 months on average after diagnosis, with the 5 year survival rates less than 3%. One of the main reasons for this is that pancreatic cancer is very difficult to diagnose early because the pancreas is buried so deep within the body and the symptoms are vague and various.
This means that most people are diagnosed at a late stage in the disease, mostly too late for surgery because the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body.
I will be honest, I hadn't really heard of this cancer until earlier this year. As many of my blogs readers will know, my Mum was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on the 28th July and then lost her battle on 2nd September.
I was shocked at how quick it was from diagnosis to the end, but after talking with other people who have been affected by this disease it appears to be the standard.
If you are able to help and make a small donation to help us understand this cancer then please visit the donation page here or you can buy Christmas cards from the charity here.
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