FUNDRAISING FOR A CURE
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PLANETS has marked World Pancreatic Cancer Day today (Thursday, 16 November) by unveiling an “inspiring and emotional” film about its patients, team and how it is transforming care.
The film, which can be viewed here, highlights the charity’s commitment to making a difference to the lives of cancer patients and features a number of those helped by PLANETS in recent years.
They include neuroendocrine cancer patients Cat Richards, 38, from the West Midlands, and Joe Freire, 61, from Havant, as well as stomach cancer patient Dave Mollicone, 60, from Eastleigh, who held a ball for the charity in February which raised £18,000.
Neil Pearce
It also shows members of the PLANETS clinical and fundraising teams, with a voiceover by recently retired surgeon and PLANETS co-founder Neil Pearce who explains how fundraising for the charity changes lives.
Since 2011 the charity has raised more than £2 million and delivered achievements including a network of patient support groups across the Wessex region and the UK’s first mobile electron beam radiotherapy machine based at University Hospital Southampton.
The charity has also funded a full-time pancreatic and neuroendocrine tumour researcher to work with clinician scientists at UHS and the University of Southampton’s world-leading cancer immunology research department.
In addition, pioneering research by PLANETS-funded clinicians based in Southampton has identified genetic patterns that could help to predict the likelihood of someone developing pancreatic cancer.
This project has now received a further £35,000 from the Liver and Pancreatic Research & Development Fund (LAPR&D), which was incorporated into PLANETS in January, to help develop a dedicated risk score tool.
While World Pancreatic Cancer Day takes place on the third Thursday of November every year, the month of November is also Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month which is symbolised by the colour purple.
Alongside launching its charity film, PLANETS is urging people to light their homes and landmarks purple on today as part of the #PurpleLightsUK 2023 campaign led by Pancreatic Cancer UK.
“We have chosen to launch our new film on World Pancreatic Cancer Day and during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month as it provides a chance to draw attention to just how dangerous this form of cancer is,” said Jo Green, who is Operations Director for PLANETS.
Patient Joe Freire with clinical nurse specialists
“Pancreatic cancer has been left behind. It has extremely poor survival rates which see more than half of people die within three months of their diagnosis. However, work being carried out by our researchers in Southampton could help to change this.”
She explained the film is an “important milestone” for the charity and highlights the “resilience and unwavering spirit” of the whole PLANETS team.
“This film captures the essence of what PLANETS is about – a celebration of hope, resilience and the power of unity between our patients, clinicians and supporters,” she said.
“It is inspiring and emotional and provides an insight into our charity that we hope will show everyone who has supported us what a difference their involvement is having on the lives of others.”
She added: “We want to say a special thank you to the courageous and inspiring patients who gave up their time and shared their experiences with us and to Neck of the Woods Films who were so empathetic with everyone involved and helped us to capture what we do so perfectly.”
READ ABOUT HOW FUNDS ARE USED
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PLANETS Funds New Wellbeing Room for Liver Ward at UHS
PLANETS funds new wellbeing room for liver patients at University Hospital Southampton A new wellbeing room funded by PLANETS Cancer Charity has been opened for patients with liver diseases at University Hospital Southampton. The facility, located on the gastroenterology and hepatology ward, provides a quiet space for patients and a place for private conversations which […]
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PLANETS funds novel 3D printed livers to aid complex surgery
Surgeons in Southampton are the first in the UK to begin using 3D printed models of patients’ livers to help them perform a complex cancer operation. Converting the data available from CT and MRI scans of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma – a type of bile duct cancer – into 3D models will enable better planning […]
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PLANETS Charity Welcome Coach Alison Bailey to their Support Team
Here at PLANETS we understand how daunting a cancer diagnosis can be. We know firsthand the transformative power of support throughout the cancer journey and have experienced ourselves the highs and lows, the triumphs and setbacks and the profound impact they can have on your life. We are very happy to be welcoming Alison Bailey, […]
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PLANETS completes £1 million fundraising campaign to purchase pioneering radiotherapy machine
PLANETS has thanked its supporters after completing a £1 million fundraising campaign and making the final payment for a pioneering radiotherapy machine. PLANETS Cancer Charity has been fundraising for the past six years to fully purchase Mobetron, a revolutionary mobile device which delivers radiotherapy during surgery – known as intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT). When the charity […]
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PLANETS Receive £10,000 Grant from The Hospital Saturday Fund
Thank you to John Greenwood, Trustee of the The Hospital Saturday Fund, for visiting us on Monday and bringing this incredible grant of £10,000 to support our IORT (Intra Operative Radiotherapy) machine. This will enable us to continue delivering this lifesaving treatment at University Hospital Southampton – the only centre in the UK currently offering […]
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PLANETS Fund ‘New View’ Psychotherapy Course for NET Patients
PLANETS have funded a psychotherapy programme, after a successful pilot course, to help NET patients see their diagnosis in a ‘new view’. We all know that different people deal with their neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis very differently. Initially there are lots of scary tests and Doctor appointments. Then there are lots of talk about […]
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Head and Neck Cancer Patient Treated with IORT in UK First
A woman from Salisbury has become the first patient in the UK with head and neck cancer to receive radiotherapy in the operating theatre during surgery to remove a recurrent tumour. Jayne Garrett, 53, underwent major surgery at University Hospital Southampton on 25 April after suffering a recurrence of her cancer following conventional treatment […]
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PLANETS Host the 1st National IORT Symposium
It was an honour to present the fantastic work and great initial results to medics from all over the country at our 1st National IORT (intra-operative radiotherapy) Symposium on Friday June 21st at University Hospital Southampton. After a lot of hard work and fundraising in order to bring IORT to the UK for the […]
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PLANETS Cancer Charity and the Robert White Trust, Fund a new regional NET Cancer Dietitian
A dietitian funded by PLANETS Cancer Charity and the Robert White Trust Fund is due to start work to develop and provide a comprehensive dietetic service to patients diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer (NETs). Ruth Lee will be based at the Dorset NET service, which is part of the Wessex European Neuroendocrine tumour society centre […]
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Southampton Secure £200k from The Robert White Trust for NETs Research
PLANETS are excited to share the news that University Hospital Southampton have secured £200,000 funding from the Robert White Trust for a research project that aims to gain a better understanding of NET biology which may lead to a greater range of treatment options for patients with this rare disease. Robert White was a former […]
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Bowel cancer patient becomes first in UK to be treated with IORT
We are thrilled and proud to update our supporters that a Southampton bowel cancer patient has become the first in the UK to receive radiotherapy during surgery using the IORT machine that PLANETS has funded. he 58-year-old male, who completed a combination of conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy in August, underwent major surgery at Southampton […]
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IORT Launch is a Success!
SOUTHAMPTON CLINICIANS PIONEER USE OF REVOLUTIONARY CANCER DEVICE PLANETS founders Neil Pearce and Brian Stedman, together with fund manager Layla Stephen successfully launched our long awaited IORT machine last night. The Mobetron is the first portable system able to administer the treatment in this way – known as intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) – and will […]
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IORT Arrives at Southampton!
PLANETS are thrilled to announce that the eagle (finally) has landed! 2 tons of intra-operative radio-therapy machine (IORT) arrived from the USA this week – currently undergoing acceptance testing. This is the UK’s first ever mobile electron beam radiotherapy machine for treating cancers during surgery. Thanks to everyone who has supported our fundraising which has […]
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Southampton Aiding Research into Earlier Diagnosis for Pancreatic Cancer
You may have notice that Southampton was mentioned in recent media stories regarding The National Tumour Bank that is carrying out important pancreatic cancer research? Colin Johnson, Professor of Surgical Sciences at University of Southampton, has this to say about the project: ‘The National Tissue Bank is a major development in pancreatic cancer research. Several […]
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Sainsbury’s Hedge End Donate Digital Radios
A big thank you to Sainsbury’s Hedge End for donating two digital radios to PLANETS to be used in the lead lined Gamma Scanner Rooms at Southampton General. Pictured presenting the radios to staff in the scanner rooms are PLANETS Fund Manager, Layla Stephen, and Dr Brian Stedman.
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PLANETS to Fund Pancreatic Cancer Research at Southampton
PLANETS Charitable Fund are excited to have committed to provide a grant over a two year period for a pancreatic research project: ́The role of Eps8 in αvβ6-dependent functions in pancreatic cancer invasion’ to be undertaken by Dr Jo Tod. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) has one of the worst outcomes of any cancer; only 3.7% of patients […]
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First Patient Receives PRRT at Southampton thanks to PLANETS
[social_button button=”facebook” flayout=”standard ” fwidth=”450″ faction=”like” fcolorsheme=”light”] UHS magazine Connect featured a fantastic article about NET patient Maureen McKenzie who, in July 2013, became the first Southampton patient to receive PRRT (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy). The equipment for this treatment was jointly funded by UHS and PLANETS showing just how important and valuable the […]
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Improving Patient Services Across the Region
[social_button button=”facebook” flayout=”standard ” fwidth=”450″ faction=”like” fcolorsheme=”light”] Pancreatic cancer affects over 8000 patients each year in the uk and remains the fifth biggest cancer killer in the UK, despite this its has been underfunded for many years and currently receives just 1% of total cancer research funding in the UK. NETs are a rare form […]
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