MSP Stuart McMillan has pledged his support to Pancreatic Cancer UK’s campaign to reverse shockingly low treatment rates for the disease.

Currently seven in 10 people receive no treatment at all, not even chemotherapy.

Through its ‘Don’t Write Me Off’ campaign, the charity is urging the Scottish Government to fund a new, faster and fairer pathway to give all patients the best chance of survival and quality of life.

Just 10 per cent of those diagnosed with the disease receive surgery, the only potentially curative treatment, and only a quarter of patients receive life-extending chemotherapy.

As a result, more than half of people with pancreatic cancer die within three months of diagnosis.

Mr McMillan said: “For people affected by pancreatic cancer the impact of the tremendous pressures on the NHS can be heart-breaking.

"Time is truly of the essence with this devastating disease.

"Yet, while we have seen significant improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and awareness of many cancers, progress on pancreatic cancer has been unacceptably slow.

“I want to see government and services across the country act now to transform survival for this devastating disease and hope everyone in Inverclyde will join me in backing this campaign.”