New pancreatic cancer awareness statistics are hard to digest

The deadliest – and least known – killer: Pancreatic Cancer Action, a charity that exists to save lives by improving early diagnosis, has released its findings from its latest awareness survey and the results show an alarming mixture of confusion and misinformation among UK citizens, despite the fact that pancreatic cancer is the fifth biggest cancer killer in the UK.

Thanks to commonality and, also to the number of celebrities willing to share their stories, we’re all familiar with the symptoms and treatments signs and symptoms for breast and lung cancer but, Pancreatic Cancer Action’s new survey shows that an incredible 70% of respondents admitted to knowing little or nothing about pancreatic cancer, with many even confessing to not knowing where in the body the pancreas is located.

These figures are even more worrying when you consider that pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate in the UK of all 22 cancers, and that this disease kills 24 people per day in Great Britain with another 26 people being diagnosed daily. Actor and dancer, Patrick Swayze, best known for his roles in the films “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008 and, died just 18 months later in September 2009 at the age of 57. Sadly, most patients die within just months of diagnosis.

There are a number of reasons for the low survival rate for pancreatic cancer and these include a lack of public awareness, no lack of effective screening test and a reluctance of members of the public to ‘bother’ GPs with initial symptoms. Pancreatic Cancer Action believes that these are all things that can be changed through education, training and increased research funding.

Body talk

To begin with, for those still in the dark, the pancreas is a glandular organ located in the abdominal cavity. About six inches long, it sits behind the stomach and is responsible for producing several vital hormones including insulin andn and glucagon, and is also a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic liquid containing digestive enzymes to help with digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Pancreatic cancer is relatively difficult to diagnose but some of the early warning signs include (but are not limited to), unexplained weight loss, jaundice from a build of bile in the liver caused by the tumour blocking the bile duct, new onset diabetes not linked to and severe abdominal or back pain caused by the tumour pressing against the abdomen and spine.

It’s thought that around 70% of patients ignore earlier symptoms and consult their doctor only when they begin to experience pain which will, generally, start in the stomach, radiating out toward the upper back. Despite a mistaken belief by 34% of respondents, the presence of blood in stools is not a symptom of pancreatic cancer.

The only potential cure for pancreatic cancer is surgery and then, this option is only viable when the illness is caught early enough – studies show that this applies only to around 10% of patients. For the other 90%, where diagnosis has come too late for surgery to be an option, the disease is often terminal on diagnosis with a five year mortality rate of just 5%, and with most patients only expected to live for just three to six months. Shockingly, these figures have barely changed in fifty years due to a lack of awareness and a failure to act quickly.

Pancreatic Cancer Action’s study shows that one of the main obstacles to patients receiving a timely diagnosis and, therefore, successful treatment, is a reluctance to consult with a doctor when the original symptoms present. Some respondents reported feeling embarrassed about their symptoms with others citing a lack of available appointments.

A worryingly high 40%, however, say that they simply do not want to make a fuss and bother their GP about something they feel is quite likely to be trivial. To put this “triviality” into context; in 2014, 8834 people in the UK died of pancreatic cancer, many of whom may have enjoyed a much brighter prognosis and increased life expectancy.

Still, public awareness is, unfortunately, only half the battle. A separate survey of GPs carried out in 2015 found that doctors themselves are ill-educated about pancreatic cancer and will sometimes miss the signs or misdiagnose a patient due to the difficulty of diagnosing pancreatic cancer in general.

Chief executive and founder of Pancreatic Cancer Action and rare survivor of the disease, Ali Stunt says: “It’s interesting to see how many GPs do not feel confident about the symptoms of pancreatic cancer yet are aware that this is the main barrier to diagnosis. However, as the figures show, doctors feel that patients also need to be more aware of the symptoms and present themselves early to support earlier diagnosis.”

Fighting pancreatic cancer through awareness and education

Pancreatic Cancer Action’s mission is to increase awareness of pancreatic cancer in patients, medical staff and the Government by providing education and training on pancreatic cancer to medical professionals and to fund specific research into improving early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The charity works tirelessly to improve the figures shown above.

Unfortunately, one of the obstacles faced by Pancreatic Cancer Action is the fact that, currently, pancreatic cancer research receives only about 3% of total cancer research government funding – a preposterously low figure considering the alarming statistics outlined here – in 2015, this amounted to just £8 million; a fraction of the sum dedicated to other forms of cancer; for example in year 2015 – 2016, £33 million was spent on breast cancer and £40 million on lung cancer.

Medical professionals aside, the charity’s message to the public is simple: If you have one or more of the symptoms outlined in this article, particularly unexplained weight loss, see your doctor. If these symptoms persist or worsen, go back to your doctor and be firm when stating your concerns. Make sure that you know the symptoms to look out for – you can find more information on this at pancreaticcanceraware.org. In terms of getting a diagnosis, every day matters.

Ali Stunt says: “Despite the increasingly high rate of pancreatic cancer in the UK, our new research highlights a fundamental lack of awareness of the tell-tale signs of the disease. Survival rates of pancreatic cancer remain at a standstill, with less than 1% of sufferers being given a prognosis for a ten year life expectancy. We need to ensure better recognition of common symptoms in order to secure earlier diagnosis of this deadly disease and, improve survival rates.”

An important part of any medical research is an awareness of preventative measures. Although pancreatic cancer can, and does, strike without cause, studies have shown that alcohol, tobacco, an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise can all increase a person’s risk of contracting the disease.

For more information on pancreatic cancer or, to get involved in working towards increased awareness of the disease, visit pancreaticcanceraware.org or contact Natasha North at [email protected].