Is there a screening programme for pancreatic cancer?

There is no screening programme for pancreatic cancer in the general population. In families with specific inherited diseases which are at high risk for pancreatic cancer, ‘secondary’ screening is carried out as part of ongoing research programmes.

What research is going on?

Research is being carried out to identify new markers for pancreatic cancer which may help in early diagnosis, treatment and screening in high risk groups. New and better ways to image the pancreas are also being tested.There is a lot of work looking at the changes in expression of genes and proteins in pancreatic cancer; this will contribute to a better understanding of the processes involved in pancreatic cancer development.There are ongoing clinicaltrials of chemotherapy in the UK which are hoping to improve survival in patients with advanced disease and also after surgery.

Useful websites:

Further Information

For more information on other digestive diseases and cancers.

www.cancerbackup.org.uk

CancerBackup is a support network for sufferers of cancer as well as their families and friends.

www.cancerhelp.org.uk

CancerHelp UK is a free information service about cancer and cancer care for people with cancer and their families. It is hosted by Cancer Research UK.

www.macmillan.org.uk

This has information to help you and your family understand what could happen at each stage of your experience of cancer, and help you access information and support.

www.liv.ac.uk/europac

This is the website for The European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatitis and Familial Pancreatic Cancer.

www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk

This website provides a central resource of information on pancreatic cancer to patients, caregivers and GPs and a national support network.