A CANCER survivor is calling for the Government to take action to improve the low treatment rates for future patients of the third deadliest cancer.
Clacton resident Mary Farley, 67, is backing a new charity campaign to enable people, who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, to receive the same level of support and care as she has.
Mrs Farley was diagnosed during the pandemic and received outstanding care and surgery, despite the NHS being overstretched due to the pandemic.
Today, Pancreatic Cancer UK launches its “Don’t Write Me Off” campaign to call on all governments across the UK to fund a new, faster and fairer pathway to give all patients the care Mrs Farley received.
She said: “The diagnosis had been fast; from referral to diagnosis in just two days. The doctor said to me if I hadn't of come to them now and left it even two weeks later, I probably wouldn't have seen Christmas, but they reassured me they had caught me on time.”
Pancreatic cancer has the lowest treatment rate, resulting in more than half of people with it dying within three months of their diagnosis.
Mrs Farley was struck with intense tiredness in October 2020 and after a pupil and colleague at her job as a teaching assistant pointed out her eyes had turned yellow, she went to hospital.
Within two days she was diagnosed and was booked for surgery in early November, which almost did not proceed due to the backlog.
Since June 2021 she has been cancer-free and is thankful to all the staff that made her treatment and recovery possible.
She said: “I know that when I am doing an event to fundraise, practically everybody there is doing so someone's memory. The issue is often the vagueness of symptoms.
"In my case, due to where the blockage was, the jaundice came out early.
"My doctor said this was my saving grace, but I think my saving grace was getting the right doctor and team.”
Pancreatic Cancer UK designed an improved care pathway for the disease in partnership with 300 health professionals, which asks for a diagnosis within 21 days after being sent for tests and the start of treatment after 21 days of the diagnosis.
Further information and ways to support the petition can be found online.
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