Only a third of pancreatic cancer patients receive treatment

Charity calls for ‘step change’ in approach, urging consistency of care and earlier diagnosis

Two-thirds of pancreatic cancer patients are being told that there is no way of treating their illness after they have been given a diagnosis, a charity has warned.

Analysis by the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK found that only 34% of those diagnosed will receive some kind of surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. It said that patients with other cancers are more than twice as likely to receive life-extending or potentially life-saving treatments. The majority of pancreatic cancer patients (80%) are diagnosed at a late stage, which usually means that potentially life-saving treatment is not an option.

Continue reading... March 01, 2018 at 05:17AM