Canadian Awareness Alarmingly Low

"People don't know about it and without that, there's little hope to make gains in terms of awareness and funding on the medical side."

Mike Colledge, Ipsos Reid

Raising Awareness ... A year long fight!

The Purple Lights Campaign during National Awareness Month in November and Pansies for Pancreatic Cancer in the spring demonstrates a year-round commitment to renewing our focus on fighting pancreatic cancer and keeping hope alive for those living with or touched by pancreatic cancer.

Recent results from a recent Ipsos Reid Poll, released November 2012, cited Canadian awareness of pancreatic cancer as being exceptionally low compared to other cancers despite it being the most deadly form. Awareness has not improved, in fact, it has gone down 4% from poll results taken in 2011 Ipsos Reid Factum.  

Only one-third (33%) of Canadians are ‘knowledgeable’ (6% very/27% somewhat) about pancreatic cancer, showing no increase from those who answered similarly in a Poll conducted in 2011, according to a new poll by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Ipsos Charity Trust’s pancreatic cancer initiative and Pancreatic Cancer Canada. 

The awareness about pancreatic cancer is likely a direct result of the low porportion of Canadians (6% according to poll) who say they personally know someone who has survived pancreatic cancer. We believe the primary reason pancreatic cancer isn’t as well known as other types of cancers is because there are so few survivors to champion the cause. While there are a handful of celebrities known to have had pancreatic cancer, such as Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze, Colledge says relatively speaking, "nobody (6%) has a neighbour who has had pancreatic cancer." 

Raising awareness is a year-round focus and we have created two initiatives to raise the national profile of this disease and the need to fund lifesaving research.

Awareness Campaigns:

Pansies for Pancreatic Cancer - April

Purple Lights during National Awareness Month - November

Things you can do to help us raise awareness:

PCC has initiated a purple lights campaign in Canada to shed light on pancreatic cancer during National Awareness Month; hang purple lights to your yardscape to honour a loved one and bring hope to those touched by this disease.

We have also launched Pansies for Pancreatic Cancer in the spring to demonstrate our year-round commitment to renewing our focus on fighting pancreatic cancer. 

Purchase one of these cuddly bears; Tempur-pedic has launched its Hugs Back Campaign to promote awareness...proceeds from the sale of each bear comes back to us to support research.

Shed Light on this disease and join our Purple Lights Campaign by putting purple lights in your yard. BC Place is the latest public landmark to support our awareness campaign.

There are other things you can do to raise awareness and support our mutual cause:

Send us an email - info@pancancanada.ca and share what you are doing or go to our facebook and post your ideas

In this Section:

Awareness Of Pancreatic Cancer Low & Canadians Over-estimate 5-year Survival Rate - Ipsos Reid Poll

Canadian Awareness Alarmingly Low - The Vancouver Sun

Know the Pancreatic Cancer Facts - PDF

Purple Light Campaign Flyer

November is Awareness Month - You Tube Video posted by one of our volunteers