As a former employee at Singleton Hospital, David “Mervyn” Knight, is sharing his story of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – a disease which has one of the worst survival rates compared with other more common cancers.

In order to raise awareness across Wales about the importance of early medical intervention in a disease which has seen little investment compared to other cancers, Mervyn considers himself fortunate to be offered a treatment which has given him much hope.

Around 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year and around 500 in Wales will receive a diagnosis.

A lack of investment is a major factor in its low survival rates, which has seen little improvement in over 50 years.

Mervyn, 66, had never been seriously ill before in fact he had never even met his GP. 
But in December 2024, after repeated bouts of sickness after eating, his GP noticed signs of jaundice and referred him to Morriston Hospital for urgent scans.

Tests revealed a lesion on his pancreas, and Mervyn was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He underwent a stent procedure and began chemotherapy in early 2025.

Despite completing 11 cycles, surgery was ruled out due to the tumour’s location. In a remarkable turn, Mervyn was offered SABR (Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy) - a cutting-edge treatment only available to a handful of patients in Wales. He became just the second person in Wales to receive SABR for pancreatic cancer.

Greg Pycroft, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Tenovus Cancer Care added:

Currently 7 in 10 people with pancreatic cancer receive no treatment at all – not even chemotherapy – meaning the disease has the worst treatment rate of any common cancer. Just 10% of people receive surgery, the only potentially curative treatment. (*from Pancreatic Cancer UK).

Mervyn’s message to the community is clear: