Improving treatments in pancreatic cancer – lived experience collaboration

We will be hosting an in-person introductory meeting on Wednesday 22nd April for lived experience partners and researchers. Find out more below.

Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers with only 1 in 8 people surviving 5-years after diagnosis. As the tumour develops, a stiff and rigid tissue develops around the tumour. Pancreatic cancer is the stiffest of all solid tumours, and this stiff tissue contributes to making pancreatic cancer particularly difficult to treat. Our research aims to target this stiff tissue to improve the effectiveness of current and new treatments.

In cancer, as the tumour develops, a stiff and rigid tissue develops around it. Pancreatic

cancer is the stiffest of all solid tumours. This stiff tissue contributes to making pancreatic

cancer particularly difficult to treat. Our research aims to target this stiff tissue to improve

the effectiveness of current and new treatments.

This communication is part of a project funded by UCD STEM Challenge Fund called  “Threads of Discovery: Weaving Patients into Biomedical Research” driven by the Patient Voice in Health Research network in UCD Conway Institute. As part of this initiative, we are looking for partners with a lived experience of different disease areas to collaborate with researchers within UCD Conway Institute. 

We will be hosting an introductory meeting on 22nd April for lived experience partners and researchers. This will be in person, and will be a day to get to know each other, to learn a bit about public and patient involvement (PPI), to set expectations, and to have a chat. 

We hope through this initiative that long-term partnerships will be established. However, if at the end of the day you think this isn’t for you, that is absolutely fine. You won’t be locked into something you don’t want to be involved in! This is all exploratory.