Though Pelican cannot provide any further information, advice or referral for patients directly (we do not have the expertise or resources within our charity offices to do so), we have gathered some information here that we hope may be helpful to patients and their families.
Under each type of cancer, the experienced consultants who make up the Pelican Cancer Foundation have answered some of the more frequently asked questions. Several patients have written about their experiences with cancer from diagnosis to treatment, and about their quality of life after treatment. You will also find a number of links to other relevant charities and organisations that may be able to provide direct patient support and with whom we regularly work.
• Secondary liver cancer most often starts in the bowel. 42% of patients with bowel cancer may go on to develop liver cancer. Surgery remains the only potential ‘cure’ for secondary liver cancer. Click to read more.
• Kidney cancer is diagnosed in over 7 000 people in the UK each year. It is more common in men than in women and becomes more common as people get older. Surgery is the main treatment for kidney cancer. Click to read more.
• Bowel (colorectal) cancer is diagnosed in 38,000 people each year in the UK (1 in 18). With optimal treatment and surgery, more cures are possible with bowel cancer than all the other internal cancers. Click to read more.
• Colon cancer is bowel cancer that is situated between the appendix and the rectum. Around 24 000 people are diagnosed in the UK each year. Click to read more.
• Rectal cancer is bowel cancer that is situated in the lower part of the bowel. Around 14 000 people are diagnosed with rectal cancer in the UK each year, 4 700 of those with low rectal cancer. Click to read more.
• Bladder cancer is diagnosed in between 10 000-12 000 people in the UK each year. Of these, around 4 000 people will die of the disease. Despite this, there are no dedicated bladder cancer charities. Click to read more.
• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Each year around 35,000 men are diagnosed with the disease. Although some prostate cancer is aggressive and can cause death, the majority of prostate cancers are unlikely to cause harm during a man’s lifetime. Click to read more.