Karen Webster and colleagues at Ibis Styles turned a bright shade of purple yesterday to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.

Mrs Webster lost her husband, Michael, in April last year to the disease – only 83 days after he was diagnosed.

“It’s horrendous,” she said.

“The early diagnosis was irritable bowel, then diverticulitis and then gall stones. 

“They thought it was all of those before the blood test came back, because the symptoms of pancreatic cancer can also be the symptoms for those things.”

Early stages of the cancer rarely cause symptoms, but the later ones include indigestion, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, weight loss, and pain in the upper abdomen, side or back.

About 2500 Australians are diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic cancer each year, with the average age being 71.

It is the 12th most common cancer in men and ninth most common cancer in women.

Mrs Webster said she wanted to raise awareness.

“I think it’s a very hidden cancer but one of the deadliest cancers. Next year we are planning something bigger and better.”