Pancreatic cancer breakthrough hope

The world’s first urine test to detect early stage pancreatic cancer could increase longer-term survival rates to 60 per cent if successfully rolled out, the expert who developed it believes.
By Post reporter
Published 24th Sep 2019, 21:56 BST
Updated 24th Sep 2019, 22:56 BST
Nearly 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UKNearly 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK
Nearly 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK

The non-invasive test, developed by Prof Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic from the Queen Mary University of London, has reached the final stage of validation before being developed for use with patients.

Nearly 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK, but only around five in every 100 will live for five years or more after diagnosis. It is the lowest survival rate of any common cancer and partly due to late diagnosis - more than 85 per cent of patients are diagnosed too late for surgery, limiting treatment options.