Health COMMENT

the symptoms of pancreatic cancer – pain in the upper abdomen, jaundice and sudden weight loss – occur only when the disease is at an advanced stage. Before this, it is hard to spot, and later detection means that it is often far too late for curative treatment.

Ali Stunt is one of a tiny number of the lucky ones who survive.

the more that GPs like myself and Dr Bennett can do, the more we will change these terrible odds and the more survivors there will be, like Ali.

We are diagnosing type 2 diabetes on almost a daily basis in general practice as the obesity epidemic fuels a huge rise in cases. Of course, the vast majority will not have extra complications. But all GPs need to be aware that when type 2 diabetes is found unexpectedly in a patient of normal weight, they must think of pancreatic cancer and send the patient for a scan.

Dr Bennett has already shown the effect this could have on detection and therefore survival rates. It’s a simple thing to do and could mean the difference between life and death.