“Research saved my life”: NI woman calls for action on deadliest cancers
A County Armagh woman diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2024, has spoken out about the urgent need to prioritise research into the deadliest cancers, as new findings reveal a severe lack of funding for the diseases most likely to kill.
Jennifer Dummigan, 54, from Craigavon, said she is “an example of research saving lives.”
"I'd had some problems with stomach acid in my 30s but it didn't seem to be anything serious”, she said.
"Then in 2023 I started having a tickly feeling in my chest and realised I was losing weight and struggling to eat. I saw my GP and had antibiotics but didn't improve and around Easter 2024 I collapsed and had to go to A&E.
“I ended up having a camera test which found a 5cm tumour in my oesophagus. It was a shock and I'm still processing it all now. I had chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and surgery.
"The treatment I received at Belfast City Hospital was really excellent and I had the all clear a couple of months ago.
"It's been very hard but I'm an example of research saving lives. I hope we can start to prioritise these cancers and improve diagnosis and treatments for everyone facing them."
Her experience reflects the stark findings published today by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce (LSCT), which has revealed alarming evidence of a critical lack of research funding for common but less survivable cancers. This imbalance is contributing to extremely poor outcomes for patients.
Information, obtained from a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, shows that research into the less survivable cancers - those of the brain, liver, lung, oesophagus, pancreas or stomach - receives less than one-fifth (18.92%) of all government-funded cancer research despite them accounting for nearly 40% of all common cancer deaths in the UK.
This disparity in funding reflects a situation where less survivable cancers receive approximately £130 less in research funding per cancer death compared to the average across all cancers - with some, like oesophageal, receiving as little as £40 per death (compared to an average of £310 across other cancers).
Over 95,000 people are diagnosed with one of the less survivable cancers in the UK every year and today’s news underscores the urgent need for increased investment into research aimed at improving outcomes for patients.
Figures released by the taskforce last year found that more than half (62%) of people in Northern Ireland diagnosed with one of the six less survivable cancers will die from their disease within one year.
The taskforce is calling on the Government to recognise the scale of this challenge, reconsider current funding models, remove barriers (such as limited access to and lack of awareness of clinical trials) and incentivise research into less survivable cancers.
Anna Jewell, chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, said: “Today’s findings are a wake-up call. It is unacceptable that less survivable cancers, which account for such a significant proportion of cancer deaths, receive only a fraction of the funding of overall cancer research.
"We urgently need substantial investment in research for these deadly cancers to discover better detection and treatment methods, ensuring that more lives can be saved."
In a members’ statement at Stormont, East Antrim Alliance MLA, Stewart Dickson marked Less Survivable Cancers Awareness Week, both as chair of the All-Party Group on Cancer and as a personal survivor of one of the less survivable cancers – osophageal cancer. He said: “This is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the six less survivable common cancers, namely cancers of the lung, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas and stomach.
“I invite the Assembly to note with deep concern that these cancers account for a significant proportion of cancer deaths and continue to have some of the poorest survival outcomes.
“We should further recognise that, despite their impact, less survivable cancers receive a disproportionately low share of cancer research funding, limiting progress in early diagnosis, treatment and survival.”
Mr Dickson said he wished to “acknowledge the work of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce in representing those affected by these cancers and in highlighting the urgent need to close the research gap.”
He added: “I want to recognise the importance of high-quality cancer research undertaken across all regions of the UK working to improve outcomes for patients and supporting innovation within the health system, including work undertaken at the Johnston Cancer Research Centre Queen’s University Belfast.
“During Less Survivable Cancers Awareness Week, it is important to highlight research activity and to engage patients, charities and researchers. Less survivable cancers receive just 19% of research funding despite causing 40% of all cancer deaths.
“Today I call on the Minister of Health to work with Executive colleagues, The Department of Health and Academic Institutions to ensure that cancer research funding is better targeted towards less survivable cancers, to address long-standing inequalities in research investment, improve early diagnosis, support the development of new treatments and ultimately save lives.”