Pancreatic cancer (90% are Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, PDAC) is the 10th most common type of cancer. More than 2,400 people were diagnosed in the Czech Republic in 2022 and approximately 2,100 patients, which is more than 87%, died. Late diagnosis is the main reason for this high mortality rate.
Treating pancreatic cancer
Successful treatment for pancreatic cancer usually includes surgical removal of the tumour – but the tumour can only be completely removed if it is detected at early stages. Unfortunately, due to asymptomatic onset of disease 90% of patients are diagnosed at late metastatic stages, when the tumour has already spread to other parts of the body and surgery is no longer possible.
Surgery is followed by either chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment. Only 3.1% of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer live for at least 5 years after diagnosis, as compared to 43.9% of patients whose cancer is diagnosed early. Early diagnosis is critical for better treatment outcomes.
How is pancreatic cancer detected?
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose because there are often no obvious symptoms in the early stages. Currently the disease is most often detected using imaging modalities such as EUS and MRI/MRCP or a CT scan. You can learn more about these diagnostic methods here.
Who belongs in the high-risk group?
The risk of developing pancreatic cancer in the general population is approximately 1.5%. This risk is increased by smoking, alcohol consumption and age – most patients are diagnosed between the ages of 65 and 70.
Individuals who are affected by at least one of the following factors are at significant risk of developing the disease:
- Incidence of pancreatic cancer in a relative – at least two 1st or 2nd degree relatives in the same family line,
- Present hereditary pancreatitis (germline mutation of PRSS1),
- At least one of the mutations has been proven:
- Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (germline mutation of STK11),
- Familial melanoma syndrome (germline mutation of CDKN2A).
- Mutation with the condition of at least one relative with a family history of pancreatic cancer:
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (germline mutation of APC),
- Lynch syndrome (germline mutation of MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2 or EPCAM),
- Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (germline mutation of BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM or PALB2),
- Li-fraumeni syndrome (germline mutation of TP53).
