Know the symptoms of pancreatic cancer – STV advert
We are so excited to share with you that we will be running our symptoms advert on STV for the second time, starting from Monday 5th April. Our symptoms video will be running until Sunday 18th April in various advert breaks throughout the day.
The short advert features our amazing supporter, Gavin Oattes, who shares a bit of his story and how he sadly lost his dad to pancreatic cancer. Before his dad was diagnosed, Gavin had never heard of pancreatic cancer and didn’t know any of the symptoms.
Gavin’s dad had indigestion, a common symptom of pancreatic cancer that often gets overseen and is expected to go away with medication. However, if it doesn’t go away with treatment it could be a sign of something more serious which sadly Gavin and his family had to experience.
Gavin said: “My dad helped me to remember that life is for living and to get stuck in about the moment and he’s also made me determined to make a difference for others. I really hope this advert reaches people and raises awareness of pancreatic cancer, and helps to save lives.”
We hope that this advert will raise a huge amount of awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer so that hopefully, it can save you or a loved ones life.
Early diagnosis is so important with pancreatic cancer as the chances of survival are much higher the earlier it is diagnosed. This is why knowing the signs and symptoms of the disease is so important. The symptoms are:
- Indigestion
- Mid back pain
- Pain on eating/ abdominal pain
- Jaundice
- Unexplained weight loss
- Pale and smelly stools
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms that are not normal and persistent, please make an appointment with your GP. It may not be cancer but it is best to get checked.
PCAS have invested in this hard-hitting symptom awareness campaign because this year it’s even more critical to reach more people.
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased challenges. From a reduction in the number of people contacting their GPs, to sustained falls in the levels of diagnostic techniques such as endoscopy, difficulties to fully restoring treatment options to pancreatic cancer patients and the impact of shielding.
For those delaying seeing their doctor, or facing long waits for diagnostics or treatments, their cancer may grow or spread. This has a knock-on effect on treatment options and survival.
Early diagnosis is key to survival. With no current screening test or early detection method, being aware of the symptoms and risks of pancreatic cancer and acting quickly on any persistent symptoms can make all the difference.
Please support us in the decade of change for pancreatic cancer and share the symptoms with your friends, family and on social media. The more people that know about pancreatic cancer, the more people can have better outcomes from being diagnosed. Help us reach more people than ever before and get people diagnosed sooner. Together we can make a difference.
Thank you.