PanKind, The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation ambassador, and pancreatic cancer survivor Ian Mundell will be helping spread awareness for pancreatic cancer at the annual 146th Stanthorpe Show this weekend, one of the oldest agricultural shows in the region.
Ian and his wife Judi know first-hand what pancreatic cancer patients in rural and regional areas face when diagnosed with the disease.
Ian said he was living an active life as a 73-year-old when he was left devastated by the news of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis in May 2019.
“I was experiencing symptoms of tiredness and back pain for more than 12 months but was told after my first visit to the GP that I was ‘old and doing too much’, and to take it easy and that it would ‘all go away’,” he said.
Ian eventually required a six-hour Whipple surgery to remove part of the pancreas followed by chemotherapy.
Now, two years later, he considers himself fortunate to have been detected early and wants to help make a difference for others.
“There was not a lot of information out there and rural people are usually too busy and will tend to ignore symptoms,” Ian said.
“During my pancreatic cancer journey it became very clear that in the bush we need both greater awareness of the disease and better access to high-quality care.”
Ian said that the amount of people he has met in remote areas who have been touched in some way by the disease is astounding.
“Simply being present at events like the Stanthorpe Show provide local people the opportunity to learn more about the disease and what support is available, in an environment they are familiar with and from others who have been through the experience,” he said.
PanKind CEO Michelle Stewart said they know that the pancreatic cancer survival rate in rural areas sits at a critically low 6 per cent.
“Those living at a greater distance from major centres experience poorer access to high-quality cancer care, including clinical trials, than those living in the city and the awareness is also very low,” Michelle said.
“The work that Ian and Judi Mundell undertake to help raise awareness is incredibly important to helping improve outcomes.”
Former Stanthorpe Agricultural Society president Peter Bonner was a popular local figure and sadly lost his life to pancreatic cancer in 2020.
Fittingly, Peter’s greatest legacy to the Stanthorpe Show and its future was having the all-purpose Exhibition Centre renamed ‘The Peter Bonner Exhibition Centre’ during the February 2020 Stanthorpe Show, just a few weeks before Peter celebrated his 80th birthday.
Ian and Judi will attend the Stanthorpe Show to raise awareness, share information, and be available for anyone keen to learn more about the disease or how to find support.
Visit PanKind’s website for more information about pancreatic cancer or to make a donation: www.pankind.org.au/
