After a diagnosis for pancreatic cancer, a quick trawl through the internet will bring up some terrifying statistics about the disease which can leave you feeling hopeless and alone. One thing that can help is knowing that there are others out there facing the same diagnosis you are, and to learn how they cope and what their experiences, either personal or medical are is often useful.
This section of our website brings to you a collection of real patients here in the UK who are living with and sometimes beyond pancreatic cancer and who want to help others by recounting their experiences. We have included patients who have operable pancreatic cancer and those who are inoperable. Their stories are their own, either written themselves or we have been given permission to link to a blog where a family member reports on the experience.
If you have been touched by pancreatic cancer and want to tell your story, please get in touch with us directly or submit it through the contacts page. We will not share your details with any third party organisation.
The following stories have been written by the patients themselves. Any content, opinions or views are their own.
 Nigel Farrell, Diagnosed 2009 |  Ron: Diagnosed in 2009 |  Yvonne age 56, Diagnosed 2009 |  Cliff, Diagnosed in 2009 |
 Ali Stunt, Founder of PCA Diagnosed August 2007 |  Graham, age 48 Ampulary of Vater, 2009 |  Rod, age 62: Diagnosed 2005 |  Mick age 57, diagnosed 1999 |
 Michael - Cyberknife for pancreatic cancer |  Stewart - 2010 with operable bile duct cancer |  Vivien - operable pancreatic cancer in 2010 |  Howard operable pancreatic cancer 2011 |
 John, diagnosed in 1994 |  Dennis, diagnosed in 2007 |
The following stories are contributed by the patients themselves. Any content, views or opinions are their own.
 Wendy, 55, inoperable pancreatic cancer |  Bob, diagnosed 2009, inoperable pancreatic cancer |
 Cath Diagnosed in 2011 |
 Paul - Adenosquamous Cell Carcinoma of the Pancreas. Tumour down-staged from inoperable to operable, 2006 |
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, often referred to as either PNETs or Islet cell tumours, are very rare, making up just 2-5% of all pancreatic tumours. With PNETs, the cells, known as Islet of Langerhans, produce hormones including insulin, glucagon and somatostatin. A major function of these hormones is to control the amount of sugar in the blood. These types of pancreatic cancer are often less aggressive and slower growing than the more common ductal adenocarcinomas, so the prognosis for patients is usually better To continue reading, click here
 Caroline, age 39, Diagnosed 2008 |  Katherine, Diagnosed 2010 |
There are also very comprehensive patient stories available on the HealthTalkOnline website. These are mainly video presentations (but not exclusively) of interviews with patients about various stages of their disease, and topics range from noticing first symptoms to coping with the emotional side of pancreatic cancer. Our founder, Ali Stunt is one of the patient contributors and believes this is a very valuable resource for patients, their families and even medical professionals who need to know more about what it’s like to have pancreatic cancer. Click here to access the website
