NOVEMBER is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and we are marking it by naming three charities that offer support for patients - including a Southampton charity.

In the UK, almost 10,000 people are newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year.

It affects women and men equally, and has the lowest five-year survival rate of all the 22 most common cancers.

Despite this, the survival rate has risen to a record high of 7.9 per cent, in the UK.

If you want to see this rate increase, you can support the following charities. 

PLANETS Cancer Charity

Southampton charity PLANETS helps patients with pancreatic, liver, colorectal, abdominal and neuroendocrine cancer by funding patient support groups, innovative treatments and research.

The charity's work isn't limited to Southampton, it provides specialist cancer services to four million people who live across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands and West Sussex.

PLANETS' Charitable Fund have also joined forces with Pancreatic Cancer UK to provide a grant over a two year period for a pancreatic research project, undertaken by Dr Jo Tod.

The charity can be supported by visiting https://planetscharity.org/about/make-a-donation/ where you can make a donation.

Pancreatic Cancer Action

This national charity aims to improve the survival rates of pancreatic cancer by ensuring more people are diagnosed early and in time for surgery.

Pancreatic Cancer Action has a strong emphasis on early diagnosis because if it can be diagnosed and treated at an early stage, before the tumour has spread or grown too large, then survival rates for patients are "significantly better."

Alongside offering support, the charity also provides education and awareness training for healthcare professionals.

You can support Pancreatic Cancer action here https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/take-action/donate/ by donating or finding out how to fundraise.

Pancreatic Cancer UK

Pancreatic Cancer UK sits at the "heart of a community" of people with personal and professional experience of pancreatic cancer.

The charity supports people with pancreatic cancer and its team of specialist Support Line nurses help around 2,000 people a year.

According to the charity, its research strategy is focused on investing in the best and the brightest researchers, tackling the key priority areas for people with pancreatic cancer and the research community.

On top of that, the charity campaigns for change.

Pancreatic Cancer UK works with governments, clinicians, researchers and those affected by the disease across the country to find ways to improve and speed up diagnosis and develop faster and better treatment.

More information can be found here https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/donate/ where you can also donate.