Pancreatic cancer: County Antrim man feels 'lucky to be alive'

Only 8% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive past five years - and a County Antrim businessman has said he's lucky to be one of them.

Tom Hawthorne, from Lisburn, believes he has stayed alive because of early diagnosis and treatment.

"I am so grateful to my GP for being proactive in getting the tests done and diagnosing me extremely quickly," he said.

Mr Hawthorne went to the GP in 2017 about a separate shoulder issue.

During that visit, he mentioned that he had a dull pain in his back and was generally feeling unwell.

"That was on a Friday. On Monday morning I came in with a [urine] sample which was very dark and that was a key symptom."

A week later, after an ultrasound and CT scans, he was given his diagnosis.

'Be persistent'

Mr Hawthorne said it took 23 days from first reporting his concerns to the doctor to getting life-saving surgery.

"It was very scary and very emotional at the time," he said - but his advice to others is to know what the symptoms are.

"Be aware of your body; dark urine, jaundice, pain in your back radiating from your stomach.

"If you have any of those see your GP immediately and be persistent about that."

Mr Hawthorne's surgery was carried out by surgeon Prof Mark Taylor, who is an expert advisor at the Department of Health.

The charity Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer (NIPANC) has said only 1% of people are alive a decade after they are diagnosed.

But on Thursday, Prof Taylor, alongside Pancreatic Cancer UK and NIPANC, announced a new partnership to improve outcomes for people diagnosed in Northern Ireland.

"It will involve making a number of minor changes to current practice; increasing communication and awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease; and ensuring that pancreatic cancer patients across the region receive a consistent standard of care."

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He said the move will help make "significant steps" to ensuring all pancreatic cancer patients in Northern Ireland have a "faster, fairer pathway throughout their diagnosis, treatment and care".

Dawn Crosby, head of nations at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: "Once rolled out, it will give everyone diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the very best chance of survival and as much precious time as possible with those that matter most to them."

Early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer is vital to save lives

Ivan McMinn, a trustee of NIPANC and a pancreatic cancer survivor, said that last May the charity released the results of the first audit in more than a decade of Northern Ireland's pancreatic cancer services.

"It showed an 86% increase in confirmed cases rising from 152 in 2001 to 283 in 2020," he said.

He added that the new collaboration between the Department of Health and Pancreatic Cancer UK is "a major step forward in bringing about much needed change".