Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance

30/11/2025

💜 “Pancreatic cancer can develop quietly. By the time symptoms become severe, the disease is often advanced. Recognising subtle changes in your body and acting quickly can make all the difference.” – Mr Neville Menezes, Consultant Pancreatic Surgeon

With just one day left of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, it’s a final reminder to know the signs. Pancreatic cancer is a , but spotting the early symptoms could save a life.

Look out for:
✅ Persistent upper stomach or back pain
✅ Unexplained weight loss
✅ Jaundice – yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools
✅ New diabetes, especially if you’re over 50
✅ Ongoing digestive issues – nausea, bloating, changes in your poo
✅ Itchy skin

Even if it turns out to be nothing serious, don’t ignore these warning signs. Acting early gives the best chance of survival.

💜 Read more:
👉 bit.ly/4p47CAJ

30/11/2025

Across England and Wales, bowel cancer screening kits are becoming available to even more people over the age of 50 who are registered with a GP.

If you are registered with a GP and are aged 51-74 and live in Wales or aged 54-74 in England, a bowel cancer screening kit will be sent to your home address. They automatically arrive by post every 2 years, as soon as you become eligible.

After completing a home screening kit, Karen was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Within two weeks of her colonoscopy and receiving her diagnosis, Karen’s tumour was removed and it was confirmed the cancer hadn’t spread to her lymph nodes.

Early detection could save your life- if you are eligible, please complete your screening kits

28/11/2025

If you had treatment for cancer at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre between April and June 2025, you might be invited to take part in the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.

The survey asks cancer patients (16 years and older) about their experiences of care. Their feedback helps to improve cancer services across England.

If you had treatment with us as an inpatient or day-case and left hospital between April and June 2025, you may get a letter asking you to take part. The letter will include more information.

At The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, we really welcome your feedback. We hope that you will complete the survey if you are asked to take part. We are keen to hear about your experience of chemotherapy (or other cancer medicines) at any of our sites, radiotherapy at our 3 main sites, our inpatient wards in Liverpool and our other services.

You can complete the survey online, on paper or over the phone. It’s also available in other languages and formats.

Lindsey Dawson, Acting Chief Nurse at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: “Your feedback is so important to us so we would really encourage you to tell us what we did well and what we could have done better.

If you're invited to take part, please complete the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey to help us and future Clatterbridge patients.”

28/11/2025

This we want to raise awareness of gastric cancer - also known as stomach cancer.
The risk of developing stomach cancer increases as we get older. It is more common in men than in women. Early symptoms can look like other common stomach problems such as a virus or stomach ulcer.
Common symptoms of stomach cancer include:
- heartburn or indigestion that does not go away
- pain or discomfort in the abdomen
- loss of appetite
- feeling full after only eating a small amount
- unexplained weight loss
Contact your GP practice if you have any of these for 3 weeks or more.

28/11/2025

Did you know that since lung checks began in Cheshire and Merseyside a few years ago, they have found more than 700 cancers?
And that most have been discovered early, where treatment can be given and patients have a good chance of survival.
They have rolled out in Liverpool, Halton, south Sefton, Warrington, St Helens and Wirral – and will be coming to and in the new year.
NHS Lung Cancer Screening – formerly known as a Targeted Lung Health Check – can find problems with your lungs, and you may be offered a CT scan to make sure they are healthy or to find problems better treated early.

27/11/2025

27/11/2025

Colleagues from all our teams at the Cancer Alliance met for our seasonal annual get-together for team building, sharing our achievements and setting priorities for the year ahead.
And a bit of festive fun!…

27/11/2025

November is , which is all about raising awareness of the signs and symptoms to help with early detection, as well as highlighting the support services available for those affected.

Common signs to look out for can include:

❗ Jaundice - causes yellow skin and eyes, dark p*e, pale poo and itchy skin
❗ Indigestion - a painful, burning feeling in your chest, upper tummy or throat
❗ Tummy pain or back pain
❗ Losing your appetite, or feeling and being sick

If something doesn’t feel right or you spot anything unusual, contact your GP as soon as possible. Early checks make a big difference.

Whether you’re worried about symptoms of pancreatic cancer, living with a diagnosis, or supporting someone who is, Cancer Care Map is here to help, with lots of listings on our site specifically for this type of cancer. Some good places to start:

🌟 Pancreatic Cancer UK - offers online resources, including advice on decision making, treatment options, symptom control, contact with health professionals and emotional support, available all around the UK. It also offers a specialist nurse support line and an online discussion forum.

✨ Pancreatic Cancer Action - information, signposting and public awareness of pancreatic cancer. Services include Grief Chat which provides bereavement support with a trained bereavement counsellor.

💫 The Elizabeth Coteman Fund - offers practical support including a phone advice and support service, and advocacy on behalf of people with the condition and their loved ones. It also funds pancreatic cancer research and gives small grants to people with the condition.

Enter your postcode on our site to discover the support services close to you, as well as further national and online support. 📍

27/11/2025

To mark Acid Reflux Awareness Week - we want to highlight acid indigestion, heartburn, and reflux— symptoms that many people experience but often ignore.
If you’ve been experiencing symptoms for three weeks or more, it’s time to check in with a healthcare professional.
Oesophageal Cancer - Know the signs and the symptoms.
Early advice can make all the difference.
Visit www.ocf.ie for more info. and resources.

26/11/2025

If you’re aged 50-74 and haven’t received your FREE screening kit, completing the bowel test at home could detect cancer early - when treatment works best.
It’s simple, discreet, quick to do, and only requires a tiny sample.
Visit mcanceralliance.nhs.uk/tiny-bit-of-poo to find out how to do your test.

If you are aged 50 to 74 and registered with a GP practice, you will automatically get an NHS bowel cancer screening kit sent to your home in the post every 2 years.

26/11/2025

During men’s health month - - Merseyside dad Phil warns all men to be on the look out for the signs of breast cancer.
It is not just a woman’s disease…
https://ow.ly/iMr450XxYyc