Dubbed a ‘silent killer’, pancreatic cancer is the most deadly common cancer you can develop.
Terrifyingly, just seven percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive past the five year mark.
The cancer’s horrifyingly low survival rate makes it one of the most feared tumors to treat by doctors.
It leads to the death of around 9,000 people in the UK annually, is the tenth most common cancer in Britain, but accounts for the fifth most fatalities.
Not only this, but it is incredibly hard to spot effectively in it’s early stages.
However, a glimmer of hope has been found.
Pancreatic cancer breakthrough
A team of British scientists have successfully trialled a two-in-one treatment on mice that could signal an improvement in survival rates for human sufferers.
Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London combined two treatments.
One of which is immunotherapy involving a drug that works through the immune system to fight the cancer, the other is a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This blasts the tumor with pulses of sound waves and attempts to puncture holes in the cancer.
Though the initial study on mice saw only one method used, researchers hope the two-in-one therapy could potentially cure pancreatic cancer if given as an extended course.
Human trials are set to take place and the treatment could be available in as little as five years if successful.
Why is pancreatic cancer so deadly?
Pancreatic cancer is so deadly, because during the early stages of the tumor when it is most treatable, it spreads through your body with almost no symptoms an there are no current screening tools.
The cancer surrounds itself with tough tissue, making it hard to treat. Its survival rate has not changed in over 40 years, despite major medical advancements in other fields of cancer treatment.
the pancreas is a long and flat gland which helps digestion, regulates blood sugar levels and is located horizontally behind your stomach. Its location makes it difficult to operate on and unfortunately it is in an excellent position for the cancer to spread to other internal organs.
Most patients die from their liver failing after being taken over by the tumor.
What are the early symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
The early stages of pancreatic cancer are incredibly hard to spot without doing scans and blood tests, but here are symptoms to look our for:
- The whites of your eyes or your skin turning yellow
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- Feeling fatigued
- High temperature, or feeling hot or shivery
- Darker urine and paler stool than usual
- Itchy skin
According to the NHSother symptoms which can affect your digestion due to the pancreas’s role in the process include:
- Feeling or being sick
- Pain at the top part of your tummy and your back, which may feel worse when you are eating or lying down and better when you lean forward
- Symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling bloated
If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately.