YNYS Môn MP Albert Owen has pledged support to a campaign demanding faster treatment for people with the quickest killing form of cancer.

Three in four patients with Pancreatic Cancer disease die within a year of diagnosis.

Pancreatic Cancer UK’s bid is calling for the Government and devolved administrations to begin treatment for all pancreatic cancer patients across the UK within 20 days of diagnosis by 2024.

At the launch of the charity's Demand Faster Treatment initiative, Albert Owen MP heard that if avoidable delays to treatment were removed many more pancreatic cancer patients could be eligible for surgery - the only current cure for the disease. To help achieve this, the charity is recommending the roll-out of a new treatment programme.

In a recent trial, this successfully reduced patients’ time to surgery from two months to just over two weeks.

The Labour MP said: “142 people within Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year and tragically less than seven per cent won’t survive beyond five years.

"This is unacceptable and much more needs to be done to improve the outcomes for people with this deadly disease.”

“I hope everyone in Ynys Môn will join me in backing this campaign to transform the future for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and help them receive treatment before it is too late.”

The charity released a report to coincide with the campaign launch which revealed that pancreatic cancer patients who have surgery are ten times more likely to live for five years or more than patients who do not .

Diana Jupp, chief executive at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “We’re extremely grateful Albert Owen MP has shown his support for our Demand Faster Treatment campaign.

"Too many pancreatic cancer patients are being denied their only chance of survival because they are simply not being treated fast enough. Three in four people diagnosed with this devastating disease die within a year, making it the quickest killing cancer.

"It’s so ferocious that patients cannot afford to wait. In recent years we have seen outstanding progress in other cancers such as breast and prostate, and a shocking lack of progress for pancreatic. Together we can change that.

“We are urging people from Ynys Môn to take on this deadly cancer and sign our petition calling on the government to recognise pancreatic cancer as an emergency. We owe it to all those affected by pancreatic cancer to be more ambitious and make sure that everyone is treated within 20 days of diagnosis.”

www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/demandfastertreatment