Pancreatic Cancer Action welcomes Brian Stevenson as its new Chairman of Trustees

May 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Pancreatic Cancer Action is delighted to announce Brian Stevenson has been appointed as the national charity’s new Chairman of Trustees.

Brian brings a wealth of experience to Pancreatic Cancer Action having recently retired from his role as a Corporate Banker. Brian has spent his career in the UK, USA and the Far East looking after the needs of some of the UK's largest corporates and financial institutions. He has been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive and a Chairman of various banking businesses over the past 10 years.

In addition to his role at Pancreatic Cancer Action, Brian is a non-executive Director of The Agricultural Bank of China (UK) Ltd and an advisor to WorldPay Ltd.

Phil Stunt, the outgoing Chairman will continue to have an active role in the charity as a trustee.

Brian Stevenson said, “I am delighted to be joining Pancreatic Cancer Action at this exciting point in its development. Having recently suffered the loss of a close work colleague to pancreatic cancer, I am motivated to try and help to raise awareness and funding in order to improve the survival rate for this grim disease.”

Commenting on behalf of Pancreatic Cancer Action, outgoing Chairman Phil Stunt, said:

“The Trustees are thrilled that Brian has accepted our invitation to join the Board as its Chair. Brian’s extensive corporate background, coupled with his personal experience of pancreatic cancer, will be of enormous benefit as we continue to in our mission to make a difference to survival rates for pancreatic cancer.”

Brian is married to Jeanette, has two boys and lives in Haslemere, Surrey. As a keen cyclist, Brian is also helping to raise funds through a group known as 'The Corporate Dynamos'.

Pancreatic Cancer Action is committed to improving survival rates for Britain’s 5th deadliest cancer through awareness of the symptoms of the disease, information and increased funding. The national charity is working towards earlier diagnosis to enable more people to have the chance of surgery currently the only cure. See http://pancreaticcanceraction.org for more information.

Classic pancreatic cancer symptoms are persistent or significant abdominal pain and/ or back pain, painless jaundice (yellow skin/eyes, dark urine), significant and unexplained weight loss. Other common symptoms are new onset diabetes not associated with weight gain, pain in the upper abdomen that typically radiates to the back, indigestion or abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite or nausea and vomiting, pain when eating and Steatorrhoea (fatty stools, often pale and smelly).


ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Pancreatic cancer is very difficult to diagnose. However despite the grim statistics, many more people can survive pancreatic cancer but in order to do so they need to be diagnosed in time for surgery – the only potential for a cure. Those who are diagnosed in time have a chance of living beyond five years that is ten times greater than the overall average for the disease. Currently, 90% of people with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed too late for surgery, with the average life expectancy on diagnosis a mere three to six months. Relative survival to five years is only 3% this number hasn't improved in over 40 years.

Pancreatic cancer affects men and women equally and over a third of patients are under the age of 65.  While the causes of pancreatic cancer are not fully understood, approximately 25% of cases are attributable to cigarette smoking, 5-10% are hereditary and it is thought that obesity, diabetes and excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of contracting the disease.


Pancreatic Cancer Action has spokespeople available from the medical and research communities for interview or comment on all aspects of pancreatic cancer. We also have a number of patients willing to be case studies and/or give interviews.

For further media information, please contact

Fiona Taylor
07841396020
or 01428 656269
http://pancreaticcanceraction.org

For more information on pancreatic cancer, and a downloadable media briefing pack and statistics pack, please visit http://pancreaticcanceraction.org/resources