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"More research into pancreatic cancer is desperately needed as survival hasn't improved in decades."

Michael Parry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 59. His cancer was detected early and was initially treated with surgery and chemotherapy. But sadly he discovered that the disease had returned in August 2024.

More research is urgently needed

In 2022, Michael retired after many years of working as an explosives expert. He was looking forward to enjoying an active and busy life – spending his time walking the dogs, watching football, going skiing and playing music on his 1963 jukebox. But just one year into his retirement, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“I first noticed a stitch in my side that didn’t go away, so I went to my GP. She did some blood tests and the results suggested that something wasn’t quite right with my pancreas. She quickly referred me for a scan, which revealed it was pancreatic cancer,” says Michael.

"More research into pancreatic cancer is desperately needed as survival hasn't improved in decades."

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The positive impact of research

Over recent decades, there have been huge advances in understanding, preventing, and treating cancer – leading to rapid improvements in survival.

But cancers of unmet need – those lacking an effective treatment, including pancreatic, brain and lung cancer, as well as much rarer cancers such as sarcomas and mesothelioma – still have much poorer outcomes. And when cancer has spread, it’s very hard to cure.

It is only by addressing all types of cancer, even the most challenging to treat, that we can hope to defeat this disease.

“Our research could ultimately lead to more precise and effective treatments – offering new hope to people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the future.” 

- Dr Anguraj Sadanandam

Revolutionising treatment for people with pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is notorious for being highly aggressive and difficult to treat. Survival rates for this disease have barely improved at all in the last four decades, with only five per cent of patients in England still alive five years after their diagnosis.

To improve the odds against this disease, Dr Sadanandam is looking to find effective, personalised treatment strategies, by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in combination with experimental and clinical studies. His goal is to identify distinct subtypes of pancreatic cancer and then use this information to tailor treatment for each patient.

Harnessing cutting-edge technologies and therapies

We are also making progress in understanding and treating rarer cancers which are often complex and poorly understood. Dr Paul Huang is improving our understanding of sarcomas, which has the potential to lead to new personalised treatments. He has also found that AI could be more effective than a traditional biopsy, at grading the aggressiveness of a very rare type of sarcoma.

And Dr Astero Klampatsa is pioneering immunotherapies for mesothelioma and lung cancer – offering the promise of new treatment options for these patients.

Yvonne was diagnosed with stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer in 2021. Being matched to the right targeted therapy was crucial - giving Yvonne precious time with her family. Read Yvonne's blog on her treatment journey.

How your regular gift gives hope

Your support for our work into cancers of unmet need will help us continue to make more discoveries, find more cures, and save more lives.

Your regular monthly gift can help support our research over several years, so it has the maximum possible benefit for people with cancer.

Please donate today. Let’s finish cancer together.

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