Pancreatic cancer patients are starving

Sir

Shockingly, despite pancreatic cancer being one of the deadliest common cancers, half of all diagnosed patients are not prescribed the inexpensive tablets they need to stop them starving.

As chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK, I am deeply concerned so many patients are missing out on this medication – called Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) – which is just as vital for people with pancreatic cancer as insulin is for those with diabetes.

There is a lack of awareness among health professionals, who do a wonderful job caring for people, but don’t specialise in the disease or treat pancreatic cancer patients as frequently as those with other more common types of cancer.

PERT enables patients to digest food, helping them to tolerate treatment and to manage debilitating symptoms from the cancer – including pain, diarrhoea and extreme weight loss.

A simple prescription could give so many people with incurable pancreatic cancer more – and better quality – time with their loved ones.

We need action across the NHS to raise awareness of PERT tablets and ensure everyone who needs them is prescribed them.

No-one should have to watch someone they love waste away from pancreatic cancer.

More than 26,000 people have already joined our Transform Lives: Prescribe campaign, urging the NHS to implement targets to make sure PERT tablets are prescribed routinely.

Readers can show their support for the campaign and help stop people with pancreatic cancer from starving at transformlives.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/