A MUM of three who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after feeling tired all the time is backing a new research project to try to help others like her.
Last year Cheryl Hamilton, from Blackley was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and her family were warned that she could have just two years to live.
The 46-year-old visited her GP when she was struggling to stay awake, and initially told she might have depression. But then doctors made a devastating discovery – a tumour was wrapped around one of her major arteries.
She was given chemotherapy to slow down the growth and earlier this year Cheryl underwent a complex 13-hour operation at Manchester Royal Infirmary to try to remove the tumour.
The surgery was a success, and barring side effects which impact her digestive system, Cheryl, a care navigator for the NHS, was delighted after being told the cancer had gone.
But unfortunately, a recent follow up scan found tumours on her bowel and nearby lymph nodes. Cheryl will now need to restart chemotherapy later this month.
Cheryl, who is mum to Reece, 25, Ellie, 22 and 16-year-old Isabelle said: “My only symptom was that I was really fatigued all the time. My GP said I was depressed, but I knew that was wrong, my husband makes me laugh every day. So, I went back again, and they gave me blood tests and then a follow-up scan which flagged something suspicious. I was so happy when the doctors said they would do the operation, but it came with lots of risks.
“We didn’t ask for the prognosis at first and we didn’t want to tell the children, who were at crucial stages of their education at the time. But we obviously had to tell them, and they have done so well throughout it all.”
Husband and high school sweetheart Alan, also 46 added: “I remember thinking is this real? This is my best friend, what am I going to do? Those 13 hours during the operation were the longest of my life. Saying goodbye when Cheryl went into theatre not knowing what would happen was horrific. And then last week was the worst week of my life when they said it was back. But we remain positive, and we won’t let this beat us.”
Now Cheryl and Alan are giving their support to a pioneering new research project to help others like Cheryl in the future.
Manchester scientists have received a £330,000 boost from Cancer Research UK to fund a three-year study dedicated to finding new ways to detect pancreatic cancer with the aim of improving the disease’s stubbornly low survival rates.
A team of 15 scientists will work together to gain insight into how markers can be obtained for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma – the most common type of pancreatic cancer – to find ways to diagnose cancer sooner.
Because pancreatic cancer is currently very difficult to diagnose at an early stage, it has a poor survival rate.
Around 1,200 people in the North West are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year*. And sadly around 1,100 people die from the disease each year in North West.**
Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute will work on the project with experts based at Oregon Health and Science University, USA. The two teams will look at a particular hereditary genetic issue (a repair deficiency) which carries an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer to examine what causes new cancer cells to grow.
Work has recently started on the project which will analyse tissues from both archive samples and new patients to provide data on how cancerous cells develop over time and in different environments.
The results will guide clinical trial options on pancreatic cancer prevention and early diagnosis in the future.
Leading the project is Dr Emma Woodward from Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, who specialises in hereditary cancers, she said: “Individuals with an alteration of a hereditary homologous recombination repair deficiency (hHRD) gene are at increased lifetime risk of developing specific cancer types including pancreatic. This study will provide the opportunity for unique insights into the gene alterations and cell make up to enable us to make a lab model of the transformation from a normal tissue into a cancerous tumour, thus providing future early detection biomarker studies and investigation of interception agents to ultimately improve outcomes.
“We’d like to thank the selfless contribution of patients and families for allowing us to use their samples for our research. Without them this simply wouldn’t be possible. The overwhelming message from families tends to be that they want to do anything to stop others from experiencing what they have gone through, and as a researcher that’s really quite humbling.
Dr Claus Jorgensen, an expert in pancreas cancer biology at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, added: “Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has dismal survival that has failed to improve over the past 50 years; however, there is a window of opportunity for improvement by using the findings of this project to discover a path to early diagnosis and intervention. Between us we are working together with real synergy and expertise, and we are all excited about the potential for growth from what this research could lead to for improving survival rates for future patients of this cancer type.”
With pancreatic cases in the UK On the rise, the funding for this research project has come at a crucial time according to Cancer Research UK’s Director of Research and Partnerships, Dr Catherine Elliott. She said: “This ambitious project marks a new era for pancreatic cancer. Little progress has been made in outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients, and we hope that this research could be a turning point on that. Cancer Research UK is dedicated to discovery science while ensuring laboratory discoveries have patient benefit.”
On Friday night, joined by their family and friends, Cheryl and Alan plan to take part in Cancer Research UK’s 10K Shine Night Walk in Manchester to help fund life-saving research.
Cheryl added: “I would do anything at all to help to stop others from going through what we have been through as a family. Lots of people find out too late and if this research can help discover ways to diagnose pancreatic cancer sooner that would be amazing.”
Manchester Shine Night Walk takes place on Friday October 11 at 7pm from Castlefield Bowl. To donate to Alan and Cheryl’s page, in advance or following the event, visit Alan’s Giving Page (cancerresearchuk.org).
To enter or volunteer visit shinewalk.org
