Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal of all adult cancers. Although it is the 12th most common cancer in Australia, it is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths. The disease kills more people, relative to how many people it affects, than any other known cancer. In Australia there are 1665 people diagnosed with the disease each year, and 1603 resulting deaths.
The pancreas is a thin, lumpy gland that lies between the stomach and spine. It is about 13 cm long and is joined by a special duct (the pancreatic duct) to the first part of the small bowel (called duodenum). The pancreas plays two major roles in the body to produce insulin, which controls the amount of sugar in the blood and to produce enzymes, which help in food digestion.
Pancreatic cancer begins in the lining of the pancreatic duct. It spreads into the body of the pancreas before spreading into the blood vessels and nerves around the pancreas, obstructing the bile duct. Cancer that develops in the pancreas may also spread via the lymphatic system or blood to other parts of the body.
If diagnosed early, cancerous tumours in the pancreas are usually removed by surgery. However, this is not always possible as the cancer is often detected after it has spread from the pancreas to outlying tissues and organs. Currently, in Australia, only 15% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are eligible to undergo surgery to remove the cancer. And of the people who can undergo surgery, the five-year survival rate is only 10% to 15% of patients with surgery alone.
What is the AGITG doing about pancreatic cancer?
The AGITG is conducting two clinical trials in pancreatic cancer. These trials are:
ESPAC 3 – A European Study of Adjuvant Chemotherapies in Resectable (Operable) Pancreatic Cancer; and
GOFURTGO – A Clinical Trial for Pancreatic Cancer Patients whose Cancer is Not Operable.