Awareness is low on cancer pills

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

As Chief Exec of Pancreatic Cancer UK, I am deeply concerned that 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.

The main cause 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. Nobody should have to watch someone they love waste away from pancreatic cancer.

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

Diana Jupp CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK