Pancreatic cancer study brings hope for patients

SCIENTISTS have uncovered a “target” for drug treatments that could stop pancreatic cancer in its tracks.

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Experts said the finding brings “hope” for better outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.

Almost 11,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK. A recent audit in England and Wales found that the majority of patients are diagnosed at a late stage - 65% of patients in Wales and 62% of patients in England and are diagnosed at stage four.

Survival rates are particularly poor for this type of cancer - 21% in Wales and 22% in England do not survive for 30 days after diagnosis.

The new study looked into the most aggressive and most common form of this cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).