A Lynn woman is marking five years since her pancreatic cancer diagnosis by joining a motorcycle group for a purple-clad ride.

Charlene Cole and fellow motorcyclists are raising awareness of the deadliest common cancer by dressing in purple and riding between buildings and landmarks lit up this World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

Thursday’s (November 20) ride, marks five years since Charlene’s diagnosis aged just 37. She hopes the ride with The Flockers will raise awareness of the disease and funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Around summer 2020, Charlene experienced abdominal pain which worsened when she ate, and she was losing weight rapidly. Due to Covid lockdown restrictions, she struggled to get a face-to-face appointment. Eventually, she was sent for tests, and an endoscopy suggested her pancreas was inflamed.

She had surgery to treat the inflammation, but a tumour was found during the operation. Testing confirmed it was pancreatic cancer. Within days, she was sent for another major surgery to remove the tumour.

Surgery is the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer but just 10% of people are eligible for it. Tragically, not long after surgery, Charlene was told that it had been too late, and the cancer had already spread to her liver.

Charlene, 42 said: “I felt so scared after I learnt it had metastasized. I still am, the mental side of things never goes away. Pancreatic Cancer UK’s Support Line has been very helpful but it’s still frightening.

“You think of all these things that you aren’t going to see – like my niece and nephew starting school. You start grieving for what you’re going to miss.”

Wanting to extend her time with her loved ones, Charlene had chemotherapy. She endured 18 grueling rounds overall, before being started on an immunotherapy clinical trial. However, debilitating side effects forced her to stop all treatment at the start of 2024. She has been managing her symptoms and pain since.

Charlene said: “I’m a person that copes by doing things, keeping busy but I am now forced to slow down, to allow myself to have a bad day. I do get frustrated, but I have to remind myself that I didn’t think I’d be here five years later. Just 7% of people survive five years after diagnosis. I am lucky to be here right now.

“That’s why I wanted to do something. My local motorbike group, The Flockers, have been so supportive and it felt right to do something with them, to raise awareness of the disease and its symptoms. Pancreatic cancer is so overlooked and criminally underfunded. I hope my story can help change that.”

The Flockers will be riding between buildings and landmarks around Cambridgeshire lit up or decked out in purple as part of Purple Lights.

Purple Lights is an annual campaign, supported by Pancreatic Cancer UK, that takes place on World Pancreatic Cancer Day to raise awareness of the disease.

The group will head to Littleport church first (near Ely) where purple ribbons are to be displayed, before making their way to Ely Cathedral, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Grande Arcade at Cambridge, all being lit to mark the day.

Pancreatic cancer has vague symptoms, such as back pain, indigestion and unexpected weight-loss which are also common to many less serious health conditions.

Due to this, the disease often goes undetected until after it has spread to other parts of the body, when surgery is no longer an option.

The charity has said while significant and welcome strides have been made in improving outcomes for many other types of cancer, the odds of surviving pancreatic cancer have barely improved since the 1970s.

“Pancreatic Cancer UK is taking on this devastating disease by investing in ground-breaking research to transform survival and supporting patients and their loved ones through its free-phone support line staffed by specialist nurses.

“The charity campaigns and fundraises to drive forward desperately needed progress for pancreatic cancer, as well as raise awareness of the symptoms,” a spokesperson said.

Common symptoms include: indigestion, back or tummy pain, changes to your poo, unexpected weight-loss or loss of appetite, and jaundice (yellow skin or eyes and itchy skin).

If a person has any of these symptoms and they don’t know why they have them, they should contact their GP or call NHS 111. If they have jaundice, they need to go to their GP or A&E straight away, the spokesperson added.

Diana Jupp, chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is vital to give someone the very best chance of surviving the disease, yet thousands of people in the UK are diagnosed far too late every year.

“That’s why we are urging the public to learn more about the disease and its symptoms this Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.

“While we don’t want to cause panic, if you or a loved one have persistent symptoms, it’s crucial that you do not delay seeing your GP.

“As our researchers work on developing the early detection tools desperately needed by doctors, recognising the symptoms of the disease could be the difference between an early diagnosis, when treatment may be possible, and a late diagnosis.”

You can donate to Charlene and The Flockers fundraiser online at www.justgiving.com/page/purplelightsrideout

The charity’s confidential and free-to-call helpline is 0808 801 0707.