'We need to raise awareness of these cancers and make sure people look out for the signs and symptoms.'
‘All three cancers are believed to be present for many years before diagnosis but cause little or no symptoms, or if symptoms do occur, they are mistaken for something else,’ she explains.
‘We need to raise awareness of these cancers and make sure people look out for the signs and symptoms and see their GP sooner rather than later. Apart from bowel cancer, there are sadly still no screening programmes for ovarian or pancreatic cancer.’Dr Deborah says more than 8,000 people in the UK die each year from pancreatic cancer.is particularly hard to diagnose, and most often presents when the disease is advanced and not amenable to curative treatment.
‘It’s believed that pancreatic cancer often takes 10-20 years to grow in the pancreas before it is detected. 80% of patients are diagnosed when it is at an advanced stage. This is because the pancreas sits high up at the back of the abdomen andThe signs and symptoms:Painless, progressive jaundice – yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, with pale stools and dark-coloured urine.
The risk is significantly increased if you have one or two close relatives with the disease. It’s more common in those with the BRACA 2 gene and in those with Lynch syndrome.New onset diabetes.‘Most will not have pancreatic cancer,’ she adds, ‘but if a cancer is picked up early, this will greatly improve the chance of survival. Don’t suffer in silence. Even in these difficult NHS times, doctors still want to see you if you are not well.
‘There is no screening programme for pancreatic cancer but if you are high risk you may be able to join the