The Elizabeth Coteman Fund was set up by the Coteman family in memory of Elizabeth Coteman, who died from Pancreatic Cancer on 22 April 2010 at the age of 59. In memory of an outstanding wife and mother, The Elizabeth Coteman Fund will offer small grants direct to sufferers and families and to small groups working to support cancer sufferers and families; the Fund will also support the development of research into Pancreatic Cancer.

By comparison with other forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer has some of the worst statistics:

• 40 years ago few children survived childhood leukaemia – now the survival rate is 80%
• 40 years ago only 46% of women diagnosed with breast cancer survived five years or more – now that figure is also 80%
• 40 years ago 3% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survived five years or more – that figure is still 3%!
• The average survival time after diagnosis is 6 months
• Profile for, and research into, the disease are both at extremely low levels
• Diagnosis must be improved – there is currently no early detection test and treatment is limited

Elizabeth was a wonderful human being whose warmth touched all who knew her. It was Elizabeth’s wish to establish such a Fund, and the family, along with Elizabeth’s dear sister Judith, have turned their dreadful loss into an opportunity to fight the worst impacts of this cancer, a disease that still takes so many lives and devastates so many families.

The Elizabeth Coteman Fund is managed by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation – Registered Charity No. 1103314