Our beautiful granny was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017.  Sadly, she lived with this terrible illness for only four months after her diagnosis.

The surprisingly poor outcomes associated with pancreatic cancer has sparked us, her grandchildren not only attempt to raise awareness of this type of cancer, but to raise much needed funds for more research.  This is in the hope to find viable treatment options which will hopefully improve survival rates and quaility of life for those who suffer from this terrible disease.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal forms of the disease- it has the lowest survival rate of all cancers.  Despite this, it it the most underfunded area of cancer research.  

Sadly, 80% of those people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will have a terminal condition as a result of late diagnosis. 

One of the reasons for late diagnosis is that pancreatic tumours are typically well established by time symptoms emerge.  By this time, the tumour(s) most likely has attached itself to nearby arteries and veins which render them very difficult or impossible to remove by surgery.  This would account for 30% of those people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

50% of our population diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas have a cancer which is to far advanced for surgery at all.  

It is thought, that currently only 20% of those people diagnosed with this type of cancer, are diagnosed in time for surgery to be possible.

Professor Callan and his team at the university of ulster have a pioneering study in progress which is researching a brand new form of therapy which uses micro bubble technology to deliver drugs directly to these cancerous tumours.  This new form of therapy can be used alongside other treatment types, increasing their effectiveness. It may also allow for a more aggressive form of treatment with fewer side effects.  The key aim is that this treatment will reduce tumours in size so that through surgery, they can be removed more easily and more thoroughly.  

The fastest way of increasing survival rates in such an aggressive form of cancer is to increase the number of people where it is possible to remove the whole of the tumour.

It is hoped that’s this could improve the outcomes of many people who are diagnosed not only with pancreatic cancer, but other types of cancer too.

This is why we have decided to run a relay in the belfast marathon, to support professor Callan and his team in their fight for a very worthy and local cause.