A new NHS pilot aims to increase testing for pancreatic cancer for those at highest risk.
The initiative comes at a time of increasing pancreatic cancer incidence. Having risen by just under 20% since the early 1990s, it is predicted to continue doing so by another 5% between now and 2038-2040. The latest statistics show that females are more likely to be affected than males, with the greatest number of cases detected in people aged 65-89.
The majority of pancreatic cancer is diagnoses in stage IV, which makes treatment and recovery challenging. Although mortality rates have reduced slightly since the 1970s, they have been climbing again over the past decade, especially among men. More than half of the annual deaths from pancreatic cancer each year are in people aged 75 and over.
The new NHS pilot scheme, reported by the Independent, will encourage participating GPs to identify patients who are most at risk of pancreatic cancer. People over the age of 60 with a recent diagnosis of diabetes or sudden weight loss will be first in line.
These individuals will be called in for testing, even if they have not presented with specific symptoms. Urgent blood tests and CT scans will be provided to look for tumour markers and other anomalies that may indicate the disease. Where suspicions are raised, the patient can be fast-tracked for further evaluation including biopsies for the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Over 300 GP practices are involved in the three-year scheme across England, which has received nearly £2 million in targeted funding so far. The goal is to determine whether the use of new digital health technology can effectively identify people at risk of pancreatic cancer to enable earlier diagnosis and treatment.
The initiative is due to begin in the autumn.
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