Morpeth pancreatic cancer survivor campaigning to help stop thousands dying from the disease

Michael Parry is sharing his story as part of ‘Demand Survival Now’, a campaign by Pancreatic Cancer UK urging major political parties to commit to investing in more research and speeding up diagnosis.

The disease is projected to kill approximately 50,000 people by the end of the next Parliament. The charity has reached this figure using Cancer Research UK’s projections of pancreatic cancer deaths.

In February 2023, Michael began to experience a stitch-like pain in his stomach. Wasting no time, he went to his GP who quickly referred him for a scan that confirmed his diagnosis.

He had an appointment with oncology booked in weeks later, but his GP was unhappy with this timeframe and fast-tracked him to be seen the next day.

Thanks to this quick referral and early detection, the 60-year-old was able to have the only potentially curative treatment for the disease – surgery.

After 12 rounds of chemotherapy, he is now planning for the years ahead.

Michael said: “I fully believe the group of people I had surrounding me throughout my journey helped to save my life with their proactiveness and positivity.

“I was incredibly lucky to have such an attentive GP in the first instance, so that an early diagnosis was possible.

“However, there are people out there not as fortunate as me. It makes me so angry that survival for pancreatic cancer hasn’t improved in decades.

“It’s so terrifying when you are diagnosed to be told you have the cancer with the highest mortality rate in the UK. How is survival still so bad in this country?

“People in charge seem more worried about their friends’ bank accounts than investing in research for this disease or doing more to educate GPs on the symptoms. They must do more. Positive early intervention makes all the difference.”

Pancreatic Cancer UK is urging major political parties to commit to investing at least £35million a year into pancreatic cancer research to bring about breakthroughs in early diagnosis and new treatments in their election manifestos.

It is also calling on them to treat pancreatic cancer as an emergency, so everyone can get diagnosed within 21 days, and double the number of people getting potentially life-saving surgery within 21 days of diagnosis.

Diana Jupp, CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “Generations of politicians, from all political parties, have failed people with pancreatic cancer and their loved ones. This devastating disease has been neglected and underfunded for decades.

“Change is possible – we’ve seen this from other European countries who have access to the same diagnostic tools and treatments as we do, but deliver better outcomes for patients. However, the UK is being left behind.

“The chance to deliver the biggest ever improvement in pancreatic cancer in the UK is there, if only the next government will grasp it.”

Michael is one of the first people to sign a new open letter organised by Pancreatic Cancer UK urging whoever becomes the next Prime Minister to take action.

To add your name, go to www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/general-election