Sam Weldon’s mother Sylvia Lloyd died within five months of being diagnosed
A woman whose mother died from pancreatic cancer has joined calls for more government investment in research.
Sam Weldon, from Wimborne in Dorset, lost her 78-year-old mother Sylvia Lloyd in January 2023, less than five months after the cancer was diagnosed.
Ms Weldon is supporting a campaign by the Pancreatic Cancer UK charity, which said successive UK governments had not done enough to improve survival rates.
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
Ms Weldon said her mother became lethargic and also developed back problems in 2021.
Ms Lloyd was initially diagnosed with a heart condition and anaemia before the cancer was discovered in August 2022.
Image source, Getty Images
Pancreatic cancer can be hard to diagnose
Her daughter said: “What I find quite difficult to digest is survival hasn’t changed since the 1970s.
“Because pancreatic cancer isn’t diagnosed until very late, it’s almost as if governments say: ‘There’s nothing we can do about it.'”
Pancreatic Cancer UK said most European countries had better five-year survival rates for the disease than England.
England’s rate for those diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 is 7%, compared to 9.6% in Ireland, 10.7% in Germany and 13.7% in Latvia, according to the charity.
It is currently funding a study to produce a breath test which could mean early diagnosis.
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis
- Symptoms can include jaundice, itchy skin, darker pee, paler poo, unexplained weight loss, tiredness and high temperature
- It can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms often do not appear in the early stages and can point to other conditions
- More than half of people with pancreatic cancer die within three months of diagnosis
- Three per cent of annual UK research spending on cancer is invested in the disease
(Sources: NHS, Pancreatic Cancer UK)
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
