A LOWTON mum who survived pancreatic cancer after taking part in a chemotherapy drugs trial, has helped to kick-off publicity for a new super cancer centre.

Helen Yorke’s personal story is being publicised to launch one of the first Cancer Research UK centres to be launched in the country.

The new centre in Liverpool draws together world class research and areas of medical expertise to provide the best possible results for cancer patients nationwide.

Helen, who has sons aged 12 and 22, started to feel unwell in May 2007.

Tests revealed she had pancreatic cancer and Helen needed to undergo major surgery which took 10 hours to complete at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in August of that year.

Following the surgery, Helen was invited to take part in a chemotherapy trial being run in Liverpool.

She underwent six months of the chemotherapy treatment which she believes saved her life.

Now, just 18 months later, the 48-year-old is fully recovered and back at work as a data entry specialist.

Helen, who is married to Dave, has taken part in Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life for the past two years.

She will be taking part this year on Sunday, May 17 at Pennington Flash, Leigh, to celebrate her full recovery from cancer.

Money raised by women taking part in Race for Life events all over the North West will help to fund the new Cancer Research UK centres, including the one at Liverpool.

The new Liverpool centre will set the pace for national and international progress in cancer of the pancreas, head and neck and blood. It will also concentrate on pioneering the latest techniques in surgery, radiotherapy and the treatment of children’s cancers.

Helen, who lost her mum to lung cancer, said: “When I had the chance to go on the trial I was apprehensive.

“A third of the patients were to have no chemotherapy, a third to have the standard chemo and the rest were to have a new kind.

“To start with I half hoped the computer would allocate me to have none but I was given the chance to have the new treatment and now I am so glad I did.

“Taking part in Race for Life is my way to give something back and raise money to help people affected by cancer in the future.

“I am thrilled that Liverpool has received Cancer Research UK status as my life was saved there.”

Since the Race for Life series started 16 years ago, the overall death rate for cancer has dropped by 15 per cent. This means that, thanks to research, thousands more people now survive the disease.

Professor John Neoptolemos, a surgeon at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and head of the University of Liverpool’s cancer studies, said: “One of Cancer Research UK’s goals is to invest more money in treating patients who have what we call the “neglected” cancers where survival is poor such as pancreatic cancer. This work will be happening on your doorstep in Liverpool and you will see the benefits in survival.”

The Centre aims to be a world leader in developing treatments tailored to individual cancer patients.

Cancer Research UK plans to launch more centres around the UK during 2009.

Women are invited to enter Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life at www.raceforlife.org or by calling 0871 641 2282.