Pancreatic cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the UK. It is difficult to detect, is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and survival rates are extremely poor.
Early diagnosis, however, is critical to improving outcomes and survival, and understanding the risk factors and symptoms is key.
Inherited risk of pancreatic cancer:
The EUROPAC Trial
EUROPAC was set up in 1996 in response to the perception that pancreatic cancer was more common in some families than in the general population.
It identified that some families had what is described as an “autosomal dominant predisposition”.
EUROPAC set out to develop surveillance methods to identify pre-malignant lesions of the pancreas or pancreatic cancer at an early stage (T1/T2).
It aims for early detection as opposed to early diagnosis so it can can act on pre-malignant lesions rather than cancers. Upon detection of such a lesion prophylactic surgery is offered.
It receives new referrals from all over the UK and now provides surveillance to more than 700 participants a year, who all have an increased lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
NHS England is working with EUROPAC to provide a referral route from the NHS into the EUROPAC national surveillance program for people at high risk of pancreatic cancer.
Across England there are six regional navigators who will help facilitate referrals into surveillance.
They are currently taking referrals from pancreatic cancer multi disciplinary teams (MDTs), genetic services and general practitioners.
To support primary care in early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, a toolkit has been produced by Kent's neighbouring Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance
List of pages
Screening and early diagnosis
Our screening and early diagnosis work focuses on breaking down barriers to increase the number of people who take up screening and raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer to reduce health and health care inequalities across Kent and Medway.
The NHS Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) requires patients to be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of being referred urgently by their GP for suspected cancer.
For patients who are diagnosed with cancer, it means their treatment can begin as soon as possible. For those who are not, they can have their minds put at rest more…
Personalised care means giving patients more choice and control over their care, based on what matters most to them as individuals. It is a partnership between people with cancer and their professional team.
Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance (KMCA) is one of eight cancer alliances to participate in the Galleri-GRAIL clinical trial. The trial aims to prove whether the Galleri-GRAIL test is effective in diagnosing up to 50 types of cancer by looking for DNA markers in the blood.
