Pancreatic cancer relay to focus on early detection and community awareness

This year’s Purple Relay, a Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Gibraltar event, is set to take place on November 8.

Unlike typical charity fun runs or walks, organisers are clear: “It’s not a fun walk, it’s not a fun run. It’s an awareness event.”

Four athletes, Jerai Torres, Sean Collado, Ian Yeats and Karl Baldachino, will set off carrying batons, each inscribed with a message for the community.

As they run a challenging 10km course from Casemates to four key locations St Bernard’s Hospital, the Europa Sports Complex, the Cancer Relief Centre, and Casemates, the athletes will stop at each point to deliver a message to designated recipients.

The first stop is St Bernard’s Hospital where the message to the GHA is, “Think Pancreatic Cancer Sooner”.

This is to shine a spotlight on the challenges of diagnosing pancreatic cancer, a disease that claims almost 10 lives every year in Gibraltar alone, said Louis Baldachino from the awareness charity and Gibraltar’s only pancreatic cancer survivor.

“The average survival rate is only 10 months,” he said.

“For GPs, it’s so difficult. Some GPs won’t face a pancreatic cancer patient, maybe once or twice in their career.”

“Because the pancreas is located between all the vital organs, it’s so difficult to diagnose,” he said.

Sudden onset of diabetes later in life, unexplained digestive problems, or persistent, unusual symptoms are highlighted as key warning signs, but “those little things could be confused with day-to-day, normal conditions.”

“It’s our appeal to the GHA to provide the necessary support and tools within primary care to improve the early detection of pancreatic cancer.”

“Think pancreatic cancer sooner, because it’s the only way to catch it.”

In a bid to help, the charity this year has sponsored courses for some GPs and palliative care nursing staff.

After St Bernard’s Hospital the runners will make their way to Europa Point to present a baton to Public Health Gibraltar with the message “Get to know the Symptoms”.

This is to raise awareness with the public about symptoms and risks, so more people notice them sooner.

The next stop in the 10km run is the Cancer Relief Centre where a baton with the message, “Never Lose Hope” will be delivered.

The message for centre users is to “Never lose hope,” Mr Baldachino said. And to all survivors, he said: “Keep inspiring those fighting.”

And the baton also acknowledges the support for the work done by the team at Cancer Relief in inspiring patients to never give up in their fight.

The final baton itself will be delivered to Mr Baldachino as a survivor of the cancer with the message, “Inspire others to keep fighting”.

“Most people die sooner than five years. Some only last one, two months. That’s why it’s so important to spread the word and not give up hope,” he said, himself a survivor for 10 years.

While it is an awareness event community support is welcomed for the last leg of the relay.

“If they want to join, they should contact us,” said Mr Baldachino, with the main group expected to reach Cathedral Square around midday. For more information or to participate, contact the organisers directly at 58008530.

Beyond the relay, the charity is set to run awareness events throughout November, including “Wear Purple Day” on World Pancreatic Cancer Day, November 20.

“What the charity wants to give is the importance of those messages, that’s the main reason why we do the relay,” said Mr Baldachino.

Unlike other cancer fundraisers, there is currently no screening equipment to buy. The focus is strictly on awareness, training and advocacy, until new detection methods are found.
For more information go to https://pcagib.org/