Pancreatic cancer outcomes poor in UK – experts urge better diagnosis and treatment

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDSep 8 2011

A new report reveals that survival rates in the UK for people with pancreatic cancer are among the worst in the world. The report recommends earlier diagnosis and better treatment.

Only 3% of those diagnosed in Britain will survive for five years – the worst outcome of any cancer – and only 20% will live for a year. Patients are more likely to survive in the US and most of mainland Europe, while in Australia and Canada, the chances of survival are double that of the UK. Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death here – after breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer. The report says patients deserve better.

In 80% of patients the cancer is not identified until they arrive in hospital as an emergency admission, by which time it is hard to treat them. The report from the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK adds that more than half of all patients have been to see their GP five times or more in the previous four to six months. That suggests there is a common set of symptoms that should be identified and publicized to help GPs send these patients for appropriate tests.

Up to 20% could receive surgery, but only 10% do. Survival rates vary according to where you live. Those suffering pancreatic cancer, says the report, entitled Study for Survival, have the least satisfactory health experience of any cancer patient. The report says more money is needed for research, pointing out that pancreatic cancer receives 1% of cancer research funding but causes 5% of cancer deaths. More than 8,000 people are diagnosed each year.

Alex Ford, chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said the report was the first to identify clearly “the challenges and the immediate changes which are urgently required to help increase the UK's poor survival rates and improve quality of life for those affected by pancreatic cancer”. The charity wants to double survival rates within five years.

Prof Sir Mike Richards, national clinical director for cancer and end of life care, said, “We clearly have a long way to go before we can say with confidence that everyone diagnosed with pancreatic cancer has access to the best possible treatment and care available. This includes access to expert input from multidisciplinary teams located at specialist pancreatic cancer centers and one-to-one support from clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). Pancreatic cancer is a challenging cancer, but we need to take this information and the opportunity it presents to improve survival and quality of life for everyone. Pancreatic cancer must not be written off as a hopeless cause.”

Henry Scowcroft, of Cancer Research UK, said that this type of cancer was difficult to treat, but that was “no excuse” for patients in the UK faring worse than those in other countries. “We urgently need to improve the way we manage the disease in this country,” he said.

Pancreatic Cancer UK's study sought the views and experiences of 1,000 stakeholders affected by pancreatic cancer, including patients and their carers, GPs, nurses, pancreatic cancer specialists and researchers.

It is a difficult cancer to diagnose because many patients will not experience symptoms until the cancer has spread to other organs. Also, the symptoms can mimic other diseases. The most common signs of the disease are pain in the abdomen which may spread to the back, jaundice, and unexplained weight loss.