My brother’s last wish, as a victim of pancreatic cancer is for the NHS to start targeted pancreatic cancer screening so everyone in the UK who has the symptoms or is at risk of developing pancreatic cancer is diagnosed early – and doesn’t miss out on life saving treatment. 

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most life threatening/erratic cancers. Also known as the silent cancer as symptoms are always misdiagnosed or develop at stage 4 often far too late to receive treatment. If this is caught early there are so many procedures that can be offered to help contain it. But unlike other cancers, GPs have no simple way of spotting the disease. And research into the disease is vastly underfunded. 

We need new tools and tests to help GPs to detect pancreatic cancer earlier - and give people like my brother the chance to survive. 

My brother Tam was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on 22nd November 2024 at the young age of only 47years old he previously had been treated for severe constipation/blockage in his bowels he under gone several blood test all markers showed normal results after weeks of back and forth and a slight fluctuation in bloods one Dr decided enough was enough, he was admitted to hospital, to later find out his devastating news. 

Which not only surprised our family but the Dr who admitted him (i cant thank her enough) Tam and our family were filled with hope regardless of his stage 4 diagnosis. Miracles do happen but we find ourselves now counting hours!

I am calling on UK leaders to develop new tools and tests to help GPs to identify people who present with thepotential signs of pancreatic cancer, so they can be urgently referred for further investigations and scans.

UK leaders must then make sure these pancreatic cancer checks are quickly rolled out across the entire NHS.

Let this petition be the legacy that he leaves for his children and many other children having to watch their parent perish! Even if it saves one family that is enough. 

On behalf of Thomas PHD Barker