Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (2024)

When you begin a race from behind, you have two choices. To remain behind or run faster. To do nothing. Or do more.

Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer. More than half of people die within three months of diagnosis. With research underfunded and left behind, people are left with only hope to hang on to.

Why hasn’t survival improved?

Survival for pancreatic cancer has barely improved in the last 50 years.

In the UK, pancreatic cancer receives just 3% of the total research budget. As a result, it’s still too difficult to diagnose and treat.

And diagnosis often comes too late. That’s because symptoms are vague and may not appear until the disease is at an advanced stage. People often see their doctor several times before they are finally referred for tests, which means they experience unnecessary delays in diagnosis and wait too long for treatment to start.

There are also too few effective treatment options for pancreatic cancer. Many people are simply too unwell when diagnosed to start treatment at all. 

How many people are affected?

Around 10,500 people a year are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK, but it has the lowest cancer survival rate with around 9,000 dying every year.

7 in 10 people with pancreatic cancer will receive no active treatment and 9 out of 10 are diagnosed too late for surgery – the only current treatment that can potentially cure the disease.

By 2026, more people will die from pancreatic cancer than from breast cancer.

Why has pancreatic cancer been left behind?

Governments across the UK have failed to make pancreatic cancer a priority. Too difficult? Too challenging? For whatever reason, despite massive progress treating other common cancers, pancreatic cancer has been left behind.

Since 2006, we have worked tirelessly to change this. And we’ve seen great progress in recent years. Our challenge is to make sure this progress not only persists, but accelerates. We need the world to give this disease the attention – and, above all, the action – it demands.

We are done with playing catch up.

Thanks to you, our amazing supporters, we are determined to do more. By working together, our actions will transform the future for people with pancreatic cancer.

Read more about pancreatic cancer statistics

Latest news

  • Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (1)

    11 June 2024

    Demanding Survival at Downing Street

    Last week we handed in our open letter, signed by over 63,000 Pancreatic Cancer UK supporters who backed our Demand Survival Now manifesto.

    Read more

  • Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (2)

    29 May 2024

    A day in the life working on the support line

    Thanks to our generous supporters, we’ve invested £14.4 million in research into the early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer to date.

    Read more

  • Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (3)

    29 May 2024

    Our response to the PERT shortages

    Find out more about the PERT shortages, what we're doing in response and how we can support you if you're affected.

    Read more

    • Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (4)

      11 June 2024

      Demanding Survival at Downing Street

      Last week we handed in our open letter, signed by over 63,000 Pancreatic Cancer UK supporters who backed our Demand Survival Now manifesto.

      Read more

    • Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (5)

      29 May 2024

      A day in the life working on the support line

      Thanks to our generous supporters, we’ve invested £14.4 million in research into the early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer to date.

      Read more

    • Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (6)

      29 May 2024

      Our response to the PERT shortages

      Find out more about the PERT shortages, what we're doing in response and how we can support you if you're affected.

      Read more

    Why we're taking on the toughest cancer (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the hardest cancer to survive? ›

    Cancers with the lowest survival rates are:
    • Pancreatic cancer, at 12 percent.
    • Liver cancer, at 21 percent.
    • Esophageal cancer, at 21 percent.
    Jan 26, 2023

    What is the new cancer breakthrough in 2024? ›

    Leaders at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, forecast that in 2024 more people will benefit from cancer breakthroughs, including research that unlocks the biology behind cancer disparities, wider access to CAR T cell therapy and rapid whole genome ...

    Why is cancer so difficult to treat? ›

    Treating cancer is further complicated due to the lifestyle and attitude of patients, the different physiology of people and the rate their bodies will metabolise drugs, the blood supply to the tumour affecting the drug getting into the tumour, the tumour physiology and the fact that the tumour can continue to change.

    What to say instead of battle with cancer? ›

    To avoid this 'battle' language; instead, the following could be used:
    • a person's cancer diagnosis.
    • a person's cancer experience.
    • a person's cancer journey (however, use with caution—some people find the use of 'journey' to be inappropriate. ...
    • a person's current treatment.
    • that a person has died from a certain cancer.

    What is the most painful cancer? ›

    Some cancers are associated with more pain than others. These can include those of the bones, pancreas, and head and neck. However, pain can happen with all cancers. It's always important to keep in mind that cancer pain is treatable.

    What is the easiest cancer to beat? ›

    What are the most curable cancers?
    • Breast cancer.
    • Prostate cancer.
    • Testicular cancer.
    • Thyroid cancer.
    • Melanoma.
    • Cervical cancer.
    • Hodgkin lymphoma.
    • Takeaway.

    What is the most promising cancer treatment? ›

    Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy: A remarkable breakthrough in cancer treatment. CAR T Cell Therapy is a type of immunotherapy that have distinct decades-long potential for keeping cancer at bay.

    What is the breakthrough of cancer killing? ›

    CAR-T-cell therapy

    A treatment that makes immune cells hunt down and kill cancer cells was declared a success for leukaemia patients in 2022. Known as CAR-T-cell therapy, it involves removing and genetically altering immune cells, called T cells, from cancer patients.

    What is the new cancer killing virus? ›

    One oncolytic virus, an immunotherapy called T-VEC, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Oncolytic virus therapies for additional types of cancer have yet to be approved, although several are being tested in clinical trials.

    Why is cancer so feared? ›

    And more than 600,000 people in the U.S still die from cancer each year. Cancer is uniquely frightening for inherent psychological reasons too. We fear any risk we think we can't control, and a majority of the public still believes we can't control cancer, that a diagnosis of cancer automatically means death.

    Will we ever find a cure for cancer? ›

    There will likely not be one cure for cancer because more than 200 individual diseases fall under the “cancer” umbrella, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. All of these maladies are characterized by the uncontrolled production of cells.

    What cancer is not curable? ›

    The 10 deadliest cancers, and why there's no cure
    • Pancreatic cancer.
    • Liver cancer and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
    • Esophageal cancer.
    • Lung cancer and bronchus cancer.
    • Acute myeloid leukemia.
    • Brain cancer and other nervous system cancer.
    • Stomach cancer.
    • Ovarian cancer.
    Apr 12, 2024

    What is the best quote to fight cancer? ›

    "There's always hope beyond what you see." "It's possible not just to survive, but to thrive and to live a healthy, wonderful life again." "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." "Cancer is like a teeter-totter.

    What not to say to a person with cancer? ›

    What Not to Say to a Cancer Patient
    • “Really you have cancer? ...
    • "Just live in the moment."
    • “I read about this new diet that cures cancer!”
    • “I know you will get better!”
    • “I know what you're going through. ...
    • “I can't stop worrying about you.” Please don't add another burden to my already heavy heart!
    Mar 17, 2016

    What do cancer patients want to hear? ›

    Choose positive, encouraging words, but don't give false hope or talk about anyone else's cancer outcomes. Remember: everyone is different, and hearing other people's stories may scare your friend or loved one. Here are some good options to consider: "I'm here for you."

    What are the top 3 deadliest cancers? ›

    Lung and bronchus, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers are responsible for nearly 50% of all deaths.

    What cancer has the longest survival rate? ›

    The highest 20-year relative survival rates were observed in thyroid cancer (95.2%), germ cell and trophoblastic neoplasms (90.3%), melanoma (86.8%), Wilms' tumour (86.2%) and prostate cancer (83.5%).

    What is the riskiest cancer? ›

    Most Dangerous Cancers Explained. Lung and bronchial cancer causes more deaths in the U.S. than any other type of cancer in both men and women. Although survival rates have increased over the years due to improved treatments, the outlook is still bleak.

    Which cancer has least life expectancy? ›

    Signs of cancer with the lowest cancer survival rate

    So far, pancreatic cancer is still the most feared cancer because of its very high mortality rate. The pancreas is an organ that plays an important role in the body, specifically in the process of digesting food.

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