Pancreatic cancer research welcomed by Evesham widow

Sandra Francis hopes the research can help other families in the future

A grandmother whose husband died from pancreatic cancer has welcomed new research which scientists hope can help save lives.

Sandra Francis, of Evesham, Worcestershire, lost her husband Pete to the disease 10 years ago.

The widow welcomed studies into its link with diabetes, which medics say can be a symptom or risk factor.

She has also worked towards his goal of raising awareness about pancreatic cancer, which can be hard to diagnose.

Mrs Francis has raised about £35,000 to help charities since his death.

"Pete was a really fit guy. He never smoked, we grew our own vegetables and all the rest of it and just enjoyed life really," she said.

They enjoyed nearly 40 years together and had children and grandchildren. But in 2011, three months after being diagnosed with diabetes, his health deteriorated and he lost weight.

"The junior nurse noticed how yellow he was, which I hadn't noticed because we had been on holiday and he had a bit of a tan. And she actually asked the consultant to check further down into his stomach... and that's when the tumour was found."

His diagnosis had come too late for treatment and he died the following year.

Now research by the universities of Oxford and Surrey, working with Pancreatic Cancer Action, has found weight loss in people with diabetes is linked to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer.

Researchers believe the discovery could save some 3,000 lives a year.

Pete and Sandra spent 40 years together

Ali Stunt, the charity's founder, is a survivor of the cancer herself and said she felt "very lucky" to be so, as unfortunately only about 1% of those diagnosed survive for more than 10 years.

"For me personally it's been a mission of mine to try and understand why I developed diabetes when I didn't fit the profile," she said.

"And now we have got some really exciting results that hopefully can be used to help diagnose people sooner and to save lives."

Sandra Francis has fundraised for charity in memory of her husband

Mrs Francis said as well as raising awareness about the disease, her husband had urged family and friends to follow their dreams as life was unexpected.

She said of the latest research: "It can't do anything for Pete, it can't do anything for the loss of this family and all that he has missed over the 10 years with the grandchildren and everything and the children - that's heartbreaking.

"But if it stops other families having that - that's got to be good hasn't it."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]