PANCREATIC CANCER UK AND PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

That this House welcomes Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month in November and the launch of Pancreatic Cancer UK's Study for Survival report; expresses concern over the report's findings of unacceptable standards of care and treatment for the majority of patients; acknowledges that there is an urgent need to address shortcomings in the pancreatic cancer patient experience to improve survival rates and quality of life; notes that pancreatic cancer has the worst survival rate for any cancer in the UK, with only three per cent. of people diagnosed with the disease surviving beyond five years, something which has not changed significantly in the last 40 years; expresses disappointment that pancreatic cancer receives only one per cent. of research funding for cancer in the UK, despite being the cause of five per cent. of cancer deaths; encourages all-party commitment to support and improvement in care through a number of measures, including improving early diagnosis, eradicating geographical variations in care and ensuring that patients are better involved in their care and supported by clinical nurse specialists; supports Pancreatic Cancer UK's Campaign for Hope, which aims to double survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients over the next five years; and calls on the Government to ensure this ambition becomes a reality.