Sister of man who died four weeks after pancreatic cancer diagnosis calls for treatment investment
Cab driver Tam Barker was sent home with laxatives by doctors in the months before he his death when he was actually suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer.
A grieving Scots sister is demanding government action after losing her brother to pancreatic cancer four weeks after his diagnosis.
Isla Gear lost brother Tam Barker on Boxing Day last year, leaving behind his 12-year-old son Max, after months of countless GP appointments and A&E visits in agony while symptoms were dismissed.
The disease was never detected until it was too late and the beloved 47-year-old cab driver ended up in hospital days after diagnosis, never to return home.
Just hours before Tam's death, he asked Isla from Leven to set up a petition calling for critical investment in early pancreatic cancer detection in Scotland.
It received a 200,000 signatures - making history as Change.org's largest petition in the UK related to the disease.
Isla is now taking the campaign to Holyrood and will hand-deliver an open letter to the Scottish Government today, backed by over 59,000 signatories, hand-in-hand with nephew Max.
The 38-year-old said: 'Tam was meant to be here for this. I'm spreading the message because he can't.
"For him, his young son, our family and every person who may be affected by this disease in the future."
Tam began experiencing stomach pain and constipation symptoms as early as spring 2024. Despite repeated efforts to seek help — and a family history of the disease — his concerns were continually waved off as minor.
'When he went to A&E, they kept saying he had a blockage,' Isla recalled. 'He was given laxatives and sent home.
"It wasn't until Tam had an appointment with his usual GP in November that the symptoms were taken seriously.
"On the 21st of November, Tam went back to A&E on his GPs orders. They ordered a CT scan to check for a blockage."
The scan intended to investigate a suspected blockage revealed Tam was suffering from pancreatic cancer.
'He said it felt like being fired from a job,' Isla said. 'They just sent him home, still in pain, with no real answers. It just didn't feel real."
After weeks of pain and rapid weight loss of 20kg from September to November, Tam was admitted to hospital again on December 4 with hopes he'd return home soon.
Tragically, he was moved to a hospice on December 22 where he passed away the day after Christmas.
Every year, around 897 people in Scotland and over 10,700 across the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
No early detection tests currently exist to help doctors diagnose it and, once discovered, 80% of cases are already too advanced for life-saving surgery.
The open letter, part of the Pancreatic Cancer UK charity's 'Unite. Diagnose. Save Lives.' campaign, demands the Scottish Government take three urgent steps:
Roll out regular monitoring for those at high risk of the disease.
Back promising early detection tests and integrate them into cancer services.
Pressure Westminster to invest at least £35million annually in pancreatic cancer research for the next two decades.
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Isla and Max have also committed to delivering their message to all four UK parliaments.
'Even if it saves one family, that's enough,' Isla said.
'Cancer doesn't respect borders, and neither should the fight against it.
"Tam was selfless. He wanted to help everyone. Now, through this campaign, he still can.'
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