A coalition of charities formed to tackle less survivable cancers has announced an increase in its membership.

The Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce supports charities and research organisations that help those who have cancers of the pancreas, lung, stomach, liver brain and oesophagus, which make up half of all deaths from common cancers in the UK.

They says that it is a sector blighted by neglect and underfunding with an average UK five year survival rate of under 16%. The taskforce aims to double the survivability of these forms of cancers by 2029.

Those involved in the Taskforce include Action Against Heartburn, the British Liver Trust, Guts UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK, The Brain Tumour Charity and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

The Taskforce has announced that it has eight new registered charity supporters: Barrett’s Oesophagus UK, Brains Trust, Brain Tumour Research, Heartburn Cancer UK, Hepatocellular Carcinoma UK, Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Northern Ireland, Ochre and Pancreatic Cancer Action.

“On average, the chance of someone surviving for five years after being diagnosed with one of the less survivable cancers is nearly four times lower than it is for people diagnosed with other common cancers,” said Taskforce chair Anna Jewell.

“I’m delighted that the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce has these new supporters who share our belief that through more research, better treatments and earlier diagnosis we can close the deadly cancer gap.”

Research funding

This month a group of medical charities received backing from more than 60 scientists in their bid to stop a “catastrophic fall in charity research funding” due to Covid-19 social distancing resulting in a drop in fundraising income and money for research.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson they called for urgent investment in a Life Sciences Charity Partnership Fund.

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