# Pancreatic cancer: symptoms, treatment and survival > Source: World Aid Network — https://worldaidnetwork.org/cancer/pancreatic-cancer > Last reviewed: 2026-06-19 ## In short Pancreatic cancer starts in the pancreas, an organ behind the stomach that helps you digest food and control blood sugar. It is difficult to find early because its first symptoms — indigestion, tummy or back pain, weight loss — are easy to mistake for something minor. Hard to spot early — knowing the vague warning signs can save time that matters. World Aid Network funds treatment for patients who cannot pay. ## At a glance - ~10,500: UK cases each year - Late, after spread: Often diagnosed - ~7%: Survival (overall) - Vague early symptoms: Why it's missed ## What is pancreatic cancer? Pancreatic cancer starts in the pancreas, an organ behind the stomach that helps you digest food and control blood sugar. It is difficult to find early because its first symptoms — indigestion, tummy or back pain, weight loss — are easy to mistake for something minor. Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of any common cancer in the United Kingdom. Around 10,500 people are diagnosed each year, and it accounts for approximately 9,400 deaths annually, making it the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Only about 10% of patients survive for five years or more after diagnosis. The principal reason for this poor prognosis is late diagnosis. The pancreas sits deep in the abdomen, where early-stage tumours cause few or no symptoms. By the time symptoms appear — jaundice, weight loss, abdominal or back pain — the cancer is often at an advanced stage and no longer amenable to curative surgery. This guide answers the twenty most commonly searched questions about pancreatic cancer in the UK, drawing on NHS and WHO sources, and examines the critical shortage of pancreatic cancer care in low-income countries. The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach that performs two functions: producing digestive enzymes (exocrine function) and producing hormones including insulin and glucagon (endocrine function). Approximately 95% of pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumours — primarily ductal adenocarcinoma, which is the most aggressive and most common type. The remaining 5% are pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs), which tend to be slower-growing. Most pancreatic cancers develop in the head of the pancreas (approximately 70%), where they may obstruct the common bile duct and cause jaundice — sometimes the first detectable symptom. Tumours in the body and tail of the pancreas typically remain asymptomatic for longer and are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage. The NHS advises seeing your GP if you have: unexplained weight loss; jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes); new-onset upper abdominal or back pain; indigestion that does not respond to antacids; new-onset type 2 diabetes, particularly if you are not overweight; a change in bowel habit (greasy, floating stools can indicate bile duct obstruction); or unexplained nausea or fatigue. Because these symptoms can all have many causes, and because pancreatic cancer symptoms are often vague and gradual, it is easy to attribute them to less serious conditions. The NHS and Pancreatic Cancer UK advise presenting to a GP without delay if you have any of these symptoms without an obvious explanation, particularly if you are over 60. In the UK, approximately 10% of pancreatic cancer patients survive five years — a figure that, while low by comparison with other cancers, reflects access to diagnostic imaging, surgical HPB units, and chemotherapy. In low- and middle-income countries, pancreatic cancer is almost universally fatal at diagnosis because CT scanning and endoscopic ultrasound are unavailable in most settings, major HPB surgery requires specialist centres that do not exist, and chemotherapy regimens like FOLFIRINOX cost more than most patients earn in a year. The World Health Organization notes that cancer of the pancreas is increasingly prevalent globally as populations age and risk factors such as obesity and diabetes rise. The treatment gap between high-income and low-income settings is among the starkest of any cancer. World Aid Network funds cancer treatment for poor patients through locally-licensed oncologists. Every donation funds access to the care that would otherwise be out of reach. ## When should you see a doctor about pancreatic cancer? Most of these symptoms have a less serious cause — but it is always worth getting them checked. See a GP if you notice a new or persistent change. If you feel very unwell, contact NHS 111 or seek urgent help. Take a note of how long the symptom has lasted and whether it is getting worse. You do not need every sign on a list to book an appointment. This guide is general information from World Aid Network, not a diagnosis and not UK NHS care. Only a clinician can assess you. - Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), often with itchy skin, dark pee or pale poo - Pain in the tummy or back that may be worse after eating or lying down - Losing weight without trying - Indigestion or feeling full quickly that does not go away - Newly diagnosed diabetes without an obvious cause, or worsening diabetes ## What are the causes and risk factors? The main risk factors for pancreatic cancer are: increasing age (most diagnoses are in people over 60); smoking (responsible for approximately 25% of cases); being overweight or obese; long-standing type 2 diabetes; chronic pancreatitis (long-term inflammation of the pancreas); a family history of pancreatic cancer; and inherited genetic syndromes including BRCA2 mutations, Lynch syndrome and hereditary pancreatitis. Alcohol is a risk factor primarily through its role in causing chronic pancreatitis rather than a direct carcinogenic effect. Diet high in red and processed meat may also contribute. Around 10% of pancreatic cancers have a hereditary component. ## What are treatment: the Whipple procedure and beyond? Surgery offers the only chance of cure for pancreatic cancer, but only approximately 15–20% of patients are eligible for resection at diagnosis. The Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) removes the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, the gallbladder and part of the bile duct. Distal pancreatectomy removes the body and tail of the pancreas. Both operations are major procedures performed at specialist hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) units. For patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease — the majority — treatment is with chemotherapy. FOLFIRINOX (a combination of folinic acid, fluorouracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel are the primary regimens for patients with adequate performance status. Palliative care — including endoscopic biliary stenting to relieve jaundice and pain management — is an essential component of care for most patients. ## What are the key takeaways? The most important points on pancreatic cancer for patients, families and donors. - Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the UK, with around 10,500 diagnoses and 9,400 deaths per year. - The five-year survival rate is approximately 10% — the lowest of any common cancer in the UK — primarily because most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage. - Symptoms are often vague: unexplained weight loss, jaundice, upper abdominal or back pain, and new-onset diabetes in someone not obviously overweight should all prompt a GP visit. - Only 15–20% of patients are eligible for curative surgery (the Whipple procedure). The majority are treated with chemotherapy for advanced disease. - In low-income countries, pancreatic cancer is almost universally diagnosed late and largely untreated for poor patients because imaging, surgery and chemotherapy are unaffordable. ## What will a donation for pancreatic cancer treatment provide? A gift to World Aid Network's Cancer Emergency Appeal helps pay for diagnosis and treatment that a poor patient has been recommended but cannot afford. Typical partner costs start at £10 for tests and £50 for a chemotherapy session. Trustees direct gifts to the most urgent cases. This is treatment access, not laboratory research and not UK NHS care. Clinicians in partner hospitals decide the medical plan. We fund the bill in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. The Cancer Emergency Appeal funds all types of cancer. Trustees direct gifts to the most urgent hospital bills in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. - £10 — Diagnostic tests that help a partner oncologist confirm the next step - £25 — Cancer medication towards a treatment cycle a family cannot afford - £50 — One chemotherapy session for a patient who would otherwise be turned away - £100 — Surgical support or a fuller block of treatment costs ## How can I donate to help people with pancreatic cancer? Donate by card on this page or at worldaidnetwork.org/donate and choose the Cancer Emergency Appeal. World Aid Network is a UK CIO with Charity Commission registration in progress; Gift Aid applies once registration is granted. If you need UK support as a patient or relative, see a GP, NHS 111, Macmillan or the specialist UK charity for this cancer. We fund treatment overseas; we are not a UK helpline. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is pancreatic cancer? Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumour of the pancreas — a gland behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes and hormones including insulin. Approximately 95% of cases are ductal adenocarcinoma, which is highly aggressive. It is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the UK, with around 10,500 diagnoses per year and a five-year survival rate of only about 10%. ### What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer? According to the NHS, symptoms to report to your GP include: unexplained weight loss; jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes); upper abdominal or back pain; indigestion not responding to antacids; new-onset type 2 diabetes without an obvious cause; pale, floating or greasy stools; or unexplained nausea and fatigue. Symptoms are often vague and easy to attribute to other causes, which is why diagnosis is frequently delayed. ### Why is pancreatic cancer so hard to detect early? The pancreas sits deep in the abdomen, hidden from physical examination and not accessible by standard endoscopy. Early-stage pancreatic tumours cause few or no symptoms. By the time symptoms such as jaundice, weight loss or pain become apparent, the cancer has usually grown large enough to obstruct a bile duct or nearby structure, or has already spread to other organs. There is currently no validated national screening test for the general population. ### How common is pancreatic cancer in the UK? Around 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year, and approximately 9,400 die from it annually — making it the fifth most common cause of cancer death. It accounts for approximately 3% of all new cancer cases but 6% of cancer deaths, reflecting its poor prognosis. ### What causes pancreatic cancer? The majority of pancreatic cancers arise from accumulated DNA mutations in pancreatic duct cells. Smoking is responsible for approximately 25% of cases. Other causes include long-standing type 2 diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, obesity, a diet high in red and processed meat, heavy alcohol consumption (primarily via chronic pancreatitis), and inherited genetic syndromes including BRCA2 mutations, Lynch syndrome and hereditary pancreatitis. ### What are the risk factors for pancreatic cancer? The main risk factors are: age over 60; smoking; obesity; long-standing type 2 diabetes; chronic pancreatitis; a family history of pancreatic cancer; inherited gene mutations (BRCA2, CDKN2A, STK11, PRSS1, Lynch syndrome); and heavy alcohol use. Around 10% of pancreatic cancers have a hereditary element. Risk increases significantly with a combination of factors such as smoking plus obesity plus diabetes. ### How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed? Diagnosis involves contrast-enhanced CT scanning (pancreatic protocol), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), MRI/MRCP, and tissue biopsy obtained via EUS-guided fine needle aspiration or CT-guided needle biopsy. CA 19-9 is a blood tumour marker used to support diagnosis and monitor treatment response, though it is not accurate enough for screening alone. Staging CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis determines whether the tumour is resectable, borderline resectable, locally advanced or metastatic. ### What are the stages of pancreatic cancer? Pancreatic cancer is clinically classified as: resectable (operable, approximately 15–20% at diagnosis); borderline resectable (may become operable after chemotherapy); locally advanced (grown into major blood vessels, approximately 30%); or metastatic (spread to liver, lungs or peritoneum, approximately 50–55%). The TNM staging system (Stages I–IV) is also used. Stage IV — metastatic disease — accounts for the majority of UK diagnoses. ### What is the Whipple procedure? The Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) is the standard surgical operation for pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreas. It removes the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, the gallbladder and part of the bile duct, with reconstruction to restore digestive continuity. It is a 5–8 hour major operation performed only at specialist HPB (hepatopancreaticobiliary) centres in the UK. Operative mortality at specialist centres is less than 4%; recovery typically takes 4–8 weeks. ### What is the treatment for pancreatic cancer? For resectable disease: surgery (Whipple procedure or distal pancreatectomy) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus capecitabine, or modified FOLFIRINOX). For borderline resectable disease: neoadjuvant chemotherapy to downsize the tumour before surgery. For locally advanced or metastatic disease: chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX (folinic acid, fluorouracil, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel for patients with good performance status. Olaparib (PARP inhibitor) is used for BRCA-mutated tumours. Palliative care — biliary stenting, pain management — is central for most patients. ### What is the survival rate for pancreatic cancer? Approximately 10% of pancreatic cancer patients in the UK survive five years. For the minority who undergo curative resection, five-year survival is approximately 20–25%. For metastatic disease — affecting the majority of patients — median survival is 6–12 months with chemotherapy. One-year survival for all stages combined is approximately 25%. These figures have improved modestly over the past decade due to more effective chemotherapy regimens. ### Can pancreatic cancer be cured? Pancreatic cancer can be cured in the approximately 15–20% of patients diagnosed at a resectable stage who undergo successful surgery and do not develop recurrence. For this group, five-year survival is approximately 20–25% with adjuvant chemotherapy. For patients diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease — the majority — current treatment aims to prolong life and manage symptoms rather than achieve cure. ### What is the difference between pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis? Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas — not cancer. Acute pancreatitis is typically caused by gallstones or alcohol. Chronic pancreatitis is long-term pancreatic inflammation, most often from heavy alcohol use or genetic factors. Chronic pancreatitis is itself a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and the two conditions share symptoms (abdominal pain, weight loss), which can delay diagnosis. Any patient with chronic pancreatitis whose symptoms worsen or change should be reassessed to exclude cancer. ### Is pancreatic cancer hereditary? Approximately 10% of pancreatic cancers have a hereditary component. Inherited gene mutations that increase risk include BRCA2, BRCA1, PALB2, CDKN2A, STK11 (Peutz-Jeghers syndrome), ATM and Lynch syndrome mismatch repair gene mutations. Families with two or more first-degree relatives diagnosed with pancreatic cancer may be referred for genetic testing and surveillance endoscopic ultrasound through specialist genetics or HPB clinics. ### What is jaundice and why does it occur with pancreatic cancer? Jaundice is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by elevated bilirubin in the blood. In pancreatic cancer, jaundice occurs when a tumour in the head of the pancreas compresses or invades the common bile duct, blocking normal bile flow from the liver into the intestine. It is accompanied by pale stools, dark urine and itching. Painless obstructive jaundice in a person over 60 is a red-flag symptom that the NHS advises investigating urgently to exclude pancreatic cancer. ### What is the difference between exocrine and endocrine pancreatic cancer? Exocrine pancreatic cancer (around 95% of cases) arises from enzyme-producing cells. Ductal adenocarcinoma is by far the most common and most aggressive type. Endocrine tumours (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours — PNETs, around 5%) arise from hormone-producing islet cells and are generally slower-growing with a better prognosis. Well-differentiated PNETs are sometimes operable even at an advanced stage, unlike ductal adenocarcinoma. ### Are there early detection tests for pancreatic cancer? There is currently no validated screening test for the general population. The CA 19-9 blood test is not accurate enough for population screening. Research into liquid biopsy (circulating tumour DNA) and multi-cancer early detection blood tests is ongoing. In the UK, surveillance endoscopic ultrasound is offered to individuals at high genetic risk (BRCA2, CDKN2A or Lynch syndrome with a family history) at specialist HPB genetics clinics. Earlier diagnosis remains the most critical unmet need in pancreatic cancer. ### What is FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy? FOLFIRINOX is a combination chemotherapy regimen for advanced pancreatic cancer combining four agents: folinic acid (leucovorin), fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan and oxaliplatin. Given intravenously every two weeks, it is more effective than gemcitabine alone but significantly more toxic. It is generally reserved for patients with good performance status (PS 0–1) and adequate organ function. A modified version (mFOLFIRINOX) reduces doses to improve tolerability. FOLFIRINOX is also used as neoadjuvant therapy for borderline resectable tumours. ### Can new-onset diabetes be a sign of pancreatic cancer? Yes. New-onset type 2 diabetes — particularly in someone over 60 who is not overweight and has no other obvious risk factors — can be an early sign of pancreatic cancer, because the tumour disrupts insulin-producing islet cells. The NHS advises GPs to consider urgent investigation for any patient over 60 with unexplained new-onset diabetes. People with long-standing type 2 diabetes also have a modestly increased pancreatic cancer risk, though the absolute risk remains low. ### How does pancreatic cancer affect people in developing countries? In low- and middle-income countries, pancreatic cancer is almost universally fatal. Contrast-enhanced CT scanning and endoscopic ultrasound — essential for diagnosis — are unavailable in most settings. HPB surgical units performing the Whipple procedure are concentrated in a few major urban centres. Chemotherapy regimens such as FOLFIRINOX cost far more than most poor patients can afford. World Aid Network funds cancer treatment through locally-licensed oncologists, helping to address this profound inequality. ## How you can help World Aid Network funds cancer treatment for poor patients in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia through locally licensed oncologists. Donate at https://worldaidnetwork.org/cancer/pancreatic-cancer or https://worldaidnetwork.org/donate?cause=cancer-treatment&appeal=cancer-emergency ## Sources - NHS — Cancer: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/ - Cancer Research UK --- This is general information, not medical advice, published by World Aid Network. Always consult a qualified clinician about your own health.