Our achievements and impact
Your support is driving forward the research breakthroughs that will improve the detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Over the past 15 years we have invested over £14 million into cutting-edge research which aims to improve the detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Your support is helping us lead the way in pancreatic cancer research. Over the past five years we have seen unrivaled progress in our understanding of how to detect and treat this devastating disease, bringing us closer to the breakthroughs that will save thousands of lives.
Early Detection
As a result of funding from us and others, there are now multiple promising tests in development which focus on detecting signs of pancreatic cancer in blood, breath and urine. Our early detection researchers have already achieved some significant results including:
- Showing for the first time that clues in the blood can be combined to create the first blood test for pancreatic cancer, which is over 90% accurate. We are continuing to fund research to build on and refine these findings, to ensure that tests are as accurate and as sensitive as possible.
- Launching a clinical study to test the worlds-first breath test for pancreatic cancer, which could give GPs a simple way to detect the disease at an early stage.
- Developing a new way to identify people with new-onset diabetes who are at risk of pancreatic cancer.
- Improving access to surveillance programmes for people with an inherited risk of pancreatic cancer including the launch of our Family History Checker, supported by NHS England.
- Identifying new markers of type 3c diabetes, which is associated with a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. This work has led to the development of a test for type 3c diabetes, which is now undergoing further testing to make sure that it is as accurate as possible.
- Establishing valuable sample collections now being used by research teams in the UK and internationally to refine new approaches to pancreatic cancer detection
"A few years ago we knew a little bit about early detection of pancreatic cancer, but finally people are realising how important it is. The future is really exciting”
Treatment
Our research teams across the UK are getting closer to understanding what makes pancreatic cancer so difficult to treat, and developing approaches to overcome this. Progress so far includes:
- Generating new therapeutic tools for pancreatic cancer, including CAR T-cells and cancer-destorying viruses.
- Showing how pancreatic cancer cells are able to switch fuel sources in challenging environments, providing a a new target to explore in treatment development.
- Exploring how to make radiotherapy more effective for pancreatic cancer, and which drugs to use in combination with radiotherapy for the best results.
- Supporting the development of a modified virus to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer, which is now entering clinical trials.
- Applying a technique called focused ultrasound to selectively destroy tumour cells and boost the ability of the immune system to recognise and remove them.
- Supporting the development of a new tool to improve consistency in patient care.
- Shedding light on how pancreatic cancer is able to control certain genes, allowing it to become more aggressive.
"Together we are making progress, but there is still more to do. It is vital that we continue the momentum we have achieved in order to detect early, treat better and transform survival rates."
