World Pancreatic Cancer Day took place on 18 November and our Macmillan Hepatobiliary (HPB) team at Oldham pulled out all the stops to mark the day and raise some money in honour of the patients and families they support.
Jeanette O’Reilly, Macmillan HPB and Upper GI Cancer Support Worker and Debbie Clark, Macmillan HPB Clinical Nurse Specialist organised a cake sale and raffle in the Marjory Lees Unit and raised an incredible £260 for Pancreatic Cancer UK. This money will go towards supporting patients and families affected by a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, as well as research into the disease.
As well as their fundraising efforts, Jeanette and Debbie hosted an awareness stand on the main corridor of the hospital, where staff and visitors were able to access information on the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, tips on how to reduce your risk of developing the disease, healthy lifestyle advice, and information on where people affected by the disease can access support. The team also arranged for The Royal Oldham Hospital to be lit up purple for World Pancreatic Cancer Day.
Debbie and Jeanette were also supported by local hair salons Hair Care in Royton and Shampers hair salon in Failsworth. They worked with Debbie and Jeanette to light up their salons in support of Pancreatic Cancer patients, to help raise awareness of the disease. They also held collections with their customers. The HPB team would like to say a special thank you to both salons for their support.
About Pancreatic Cancer - Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be vague and often not present for a long time. Symptoms may include:
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
- Abdominal pain
- Unintentional weight loss
- Indigestion
- Change in bowel habits
Just because a person has these symptoms, does not mean that they have pancreatic cancer but it is important that they visit their GP if they have any new symptoms.
Risk factors for pancreatic cancer are unclear, but as with most cancers, studies have shown that leading a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk. This means includes eating a healthy balanced diet, staying active, maintaining a healthy alcohol intake (no more than 14 units per week and always spread across at least 3 days) and not smoking.
For more information about pancreatic cancer, visit Pancreatic Cancer UK: www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk