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Our mother, Jessica Jasminka Pancic, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer towards the end of 2017 and after undergoing 4 surgeries, one of which was a 10hr HIPEC in June 2018, passed away 18 months later on the 1st of March 2019.

We will miss her dearly. 

Given her altruistic nature we have opted to fund raise and provide support to Bowel Cancer UK. 

Short History

Late August 2017, without any previous symptoms I experienced solar plexus pain and thought it was down to eggs in a salad I ate from Waitrose. Waitrose and other high street retailers had to recall thousands of eggs because of contamination at that time. I was so ill I had to take some days off work which was a rarity for me. The pain went away for a short while but came back more immense and with vomiting as well. I went to my Doctor where I had blood tests and also did an ultrasound. The Ultrasound revealed small stones in the gallbladder, which we’ve thought to be the cause of pain. I decided to have the gallbladder surgically removed (Laparoscopic Cholycystecomy).

-20/Sept-2017 Laparoscopic Cholycystecomy was my 1st surgery. It all went well and I recovered at home. 3 days after my 1st Surgery I felt ill again and the pain had moved down to the lower abdominal region plus that I vomited green liquid. Urgent CT scan revealed that the ‘new pain’ wasn’t due to the removal of the gallbladder, the imaging report suggested it might be Crohn’s disease. We were urged to go straight to the A&E at East Surrey Hospital.

- 28/Sept-2017 Jasminka was taken into hospital for an emergency laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy upon discovering a tumor in between the small and large intestine. The histopathology from the resected tumour confirmed it to be a T4 N2(7/44 EMVI positive adenocarcinoma of the caecum).

- Nov-2017 to Feb-2018 Jasminka had Chemotherapy , 4 Cycles of Oxilaplatin(eloxatin) and Capecitabine(Xeloda) at the Royal Marsden Hospital Surrey, with limited success.

- May-18 Scan confirms the aggressive nature of the cancer
with the cancer having spread to the liver, ovaries and further in the peritoneal wall.

- 5/July-18 in Basingstoke, had the diagnostic Laparoscopy done on the where they confirmed widespread omental disease with multiple nodules.

- 7/July-2018 In Basingstoke, under Dr. Brendan Moran, Jasminka had a 10 hour cytoreductive and HIPEC surgery performed by 4 surgeons where they removed part of the liver, ovaries plus removal of visible nodules including one in the iliac muscle.

- 25/Sept-2018  New CT
chest abdomen and pelvis with I.V contrast: Conclusion, peritoneal disease and progression of new liver and splenic metastases.

- 22/Nov-2018 Portacatch was fitted for planned Chemotherapy with 5-FU and Irinotecan, (Folfiri)

- 5/Nov-2018 Jasminka was admitted urgently to Guilford
Hospital, a duodenal stent was put in and one session of chemotherapy was administered.

- 30/Nov-2018 Jasminka was discharged for Palliative Care at home.

- Passed away 1 March 2019

High-Level Figures about the Disease

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer with less than 10% of stage 4 bowel cancer patients surviving the disease. However, if identified at i) an earlier stage and; ii) earlier age, survival rates improve exponentially. According to 5-year survival figures, close to 100% of stage 1 diagnosed patients survive. 

The Charity

All funds raised will go to Bowel Cancer UK. 

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way to donate in memory of Jasminka Jessica Pancic. Bowel Cancer UK gets your money faster and, if you're a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thank you!

Victor & Oscar (+ Husband Steven)