Son’s campaign to stop 50,000 dying from pancreatic cancer in dad’s memory

A man who lost his dad to pancreatic cancer just six months after diagnosis is calling on the next government to prioritise the disease, which is projected to kill 50,000 people by 2027.

Lewis Rogers, 39, of Broughton Street, Wandsworth, is the face of Demand Survival Now – a campaign by the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK urging major political parties to commit to investing in more research into the fatal illness.

Mr Rogers’ father, Jeff Rogers, died in 2019, aged 59. He was an engineer and lived a “very active” and healthy lifestyle, Mr Rogers said.

The business management consultant said: “As soon as we lost my dad I reached out to Pancreatic Cancer UK and asked what I could do to help.

“I knew nothing about any of it. When I started looking into it I couldn’t believe the stats.”

By 2027, pancreatic cancer is projected to kill more people annually than breast cancer, becoming the fourth biggest cause of cancer-related death in the UK , according to Pancreatic Cancer UK.

While the average five-year survival rate for the 20 most common cancers is 52.5 per cent, less than seven per cent of people with pancreatic cancer live for five years after their diagnosis.

He  said: “It’s really difficult to spot signs and symptoms. Dad had a tummy ache and back pain and initially the doctors thought it might be diabetes or gallstones. After nine weeks of tests they found out it was cancer.”

“We were very lucky to have had dad for those six months.”

Currently just three per cent of annual UK research spending on cancer is invested in pancreatic cancer, according to Pancreatic Cancer UK.

For five-year pancreatic cancer survival, the UK ranks 15th out of 16 European countries with comparable data – below France, Ireland and Latvia.

Mr Rogers said: “It’s very easy to feel like you’ve been robbed of precious memories. I remember so clearly saying goodbye to him for the last time. He was so weak at that point, so he was asleep. I said goodbye to him, walked out the room and burst into tears.”

Mr Rogers said the loss of his father motivated him to ensure the next government commits to investigating in pancreatic cancer research.

He said: “I’m very hopeful that we can improve the future for pancreatic cancer patients, so people don’t have to suffer like my dad did. 

“But we need more than just hope. The Government has invested a lot of money into beating breast cancer and prostate cancer, and it has worked really.

“I’m confident they can do the same for pancreatic cancer.”

Ahead of the next UK general election, likely to take place this year, Pancreatic Cancer UK is urging the major political parties to commit to investing at least £35million a year into pancreatic cancer research in their manifestos.

Mr Rogers is the first person to sign an open letter organised by the charity urging the next Prime Minister to take action.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We have invested £2.3billion into speeding up diagnosis and launched 154 Community Diagnostic Centres across England which will help us achieve our aim of catching 75 per cent of all cancers at stage one or two by 2028.

“We will build on this progress, improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment for all cancers through our forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy.”

To add your name to the open letter visit:https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/general-election/

Pictured top: Lewis Rogers as a baby with his father, Jeff Rogers (Picture: Lewis Rogers)