Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease affecting 8-9000 people each year in the UK. Sadly one person dies of pancreatic cancer every hour, and only 5% of patients live for five years or more after diagnosis. It is the 4th commonest fatal cancer in the UK with a worse survival than any other cancer and in a recent survey 3/4 of people in the UK could not name a single symptom of pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately due to its late presentation currently over 80% of people are not diagnosed until the disease is advanced at which point there are very few treatment options and only 10-20% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can go on to have potentially curative surgery.

The most common form of cancer of the liver is where tumours which have spread from the bowel lodge in the liver and this affects around 18,000 people each year. If surgery is possible the outcome is dramatically improved. Liver cancers that originate in the liver are much more difficult to treat and surgery in this case is the only curative treatment as these cancers do not respond well to other treatments such as chemotherapy. Liver cancer does not usually cause any signs or symptoms in the early stages of the disease and because of its late presentation and like pancreas cancer is often diagnosed in an advanced stage.

For 25 years the Leicester HPB unit has conducted research into the causes and treatments of these cancers but unfortunately there is very little money available from the government or major charities who concentrate on better known cancers. Everyone involved in this charity event realises the importance of raising money to support the research being done in Leicester to benefit patients all over the country. Organising studies and analysing samples to help us learn and understand the processes involved in the development and resistance of cancers is very expensive and as a consequence we need to find ways of raising money to ensure that this vital work can continue.