Statistics More and more people are dying of pancreatic cancer

Physicians are calling for new methods for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is one of the cancers with the worst chance of recovery. Irish researchers now warn that more and more people are dying from the effects of pancreatic cancer. The doctors urge that urgently develop new ways to diagnose the dangerous disease early.

The Irish scientists found in their study that more and more people are dying of pancreatic cancer. In Ireland, about four in five people with pancreatic cancer would die of the disease within a year of diagnosis.

More and more people in Europe are dying of pancreatic cancer. Physicians are calling for urgent development of new methods for the early diagnosis of the disease. (Image: Coloures-pic / fotolia.com)

Pancreatic cancer in Germany
In Germany, pancreatic cancer causes 16,000 new cases each year. And the number of diseases continues to increase. In the past 40 years, the number of people suffering from pancreatic cancer has more than tripled in this country. Pancreatic cancer accounts for about three percent of all cancers in Germany. An early diagnosis significantly increases the chances of survival. Therefore, it is urgent that better tests be developed to diagnose the disease.

Out of 500 new patients, around 400 patients die in Ireland within one year
In Ireland, nearly 500 new cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed each year. Around 400 people die from the disease within the next twelve months, the experts say. Over the next decade, pancreatic cancer will become one of the four deadliest diseases, Irish physicians report. By 2026, an estimated 11,279 people in Ireland would die from the disease. In 2014, this value was still at 8,817 deaths.

Obesity increases the risk
The lack of medical breakthroughs in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer means that in many patients the disease is diagnosed too late. So a rescue treatment or surgery for those affected usually far too late, the researchers urge. The underlying risk could arise due to various factors. One of them is that more and more people are overweight, say the doctors.

Physicians develop new test for diagnosis
Dublin City University researchers are currently developing a new test for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. To date, pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers. However, changes in the DNA of patients with pancreatic cancer have already been shown in studies. This may offer new options for diagnostics.

Although the physicians do not yet fully understand the influence of gene variants on the development of pancreatic cancer, new technologies are expected to provide information here, reports the daily Irish Independent. The new research uses 3D models to study how the changes affect the development of pancreatic cancer. This is to ensure that the disease can be detected earlier in the future.

What are warning signs for pancreatic cancer?
The warning signs of pancreatic cancer are vague. The first noticeable symptoms of pancreatic cancer can often be pain in the back or stomach area, say the scientists. These pains can come and go and often worsen after lying down or after eating. A sick person can also suffer from unexpected weight loss and jaundice. (As)