PCA: Who we are and what we do
We are Pancreatic Cancer Action, a small but mighty team who have been taking action against pancreatic cancer through early diagnosis for almost a decade across the UK.
Currently, pancreatic cancer is the UK’s fifth biggest cancer killer, but we know that early diagnoses can saves lives and is key to improving survival rates, as the sooner the disease is diagnosed, the better the prognosis. Currently, 5 year survival is less than 7% in the UK but patients who are diagnosed early and are able to have surgery have up to a 30% chance of surviving!
Our vision is a day when everyone is diagnosed early and survives pancreatic cancer and our mission is to improve survival rates of the disease and improve the quality of life for patients.
How are we taking action?
We raise public awareness of pancreatic cancer and its symptoms.
Public awareness of pancreatic cancer is extremely low in the UK, and as a small charity, we’ve targeted our campaigns across various regions of the UK. However, with your help, we can reach all corners of the UK! Our campaigns include:
Pancreatic Cancer Aware
Launched in a different region each year, Pancreatic Cancer Aware places key awareness and educational materials in the public eye.
Turn it Purple
Our supporters turn their worlds purple and raise vital funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer research.
Press and media involvement
If there’s a press opportunity, our Marketing and PR Executive, Issy Smith, knows about it! You can find various articles and media appearances featuring Pancreatic Cancer Action, here.
Occupational Health Talks
We go into places of work and local groups to deliver informative and educational talks about pancreatic cancer, its signs and symptoms.
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Each November, we celebrate Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, where raising vital funds and awareness is embraced by our of supporters across the world.
We provide education, awareness and training for medical and healthcare communities
We put awareness materials in the hands of healthcare professionals such as GPs and pharmacists. We also provide free, CPD accredited online training to help them spot the signs and symptoms as early as possible!
We campaign and lobby the government and key stakeholders for change
We think it’s important for key stakeholders and policy makers are aware of the problems surrounding pancreatic cancer, including: inequalities of funding, patient care, access to treatments and the lack of public awareness of the disease.
We fund research into early diagnosis
Currently, pancreatic cancer receives less than 3% of government research funding, so a proportion of our fundraising goes towards funding early diagnosis research.
We provide free patient information
We understand that every patient has a different experience of cancer and provide a variety of different, free materials for patients with pancreatic cancer. Our booklets, website, health app and Action Magazine all provide different types of information, depending on a patient’s preference on how to receive information.
How you can help
Our volunteers and fundraisers are at the heart of everything we do and are the reason we are able to continue raising vital funds and awareness of pancreatic cancer across the UK! Here’s how you can help:
Donate!
Donating is super easy! Either
- Text: PANCAN £5 (or your desired amount!) to 70085
- Donate directly to our Pancreatic Cancer Aware campaign by click here and filling out our form!
Raise awareness
By holding an awareness stand in your local area, sharing your story as a media volunteer, or handing out healthcare packs to GP surgeries and pharmacies, you could take action against pancreatic cancer and help raise awareness of the UK’s fifth biggest cancer killer.
Click here to get involved with raising awareness
Fundraise
Help us take action across the UK by fundraising as a part of Team PCA. Whether you’re a runner, a swimmer, a gala dinner organiser or even a bucket collector, the funds you raise for us will help to: continue raising awareness, educate healthcare professionals and fund critical research.
Click here to get involved with fundraising
