10 year survival rates improving for most cancers but sadly not pancreatic cancer

On World Cancer Day, Cancer Research UK released new statistics to show that cancer deaths are falling, with ten-year survival rates of some cancers improving significantly since 1971.

It is, of course, fantastic to see such an increase in survival rates, with testicular cancer rates increasing from 69% to 98%, and 57% of patients diagnosed with bowel cancer, which used to have one of the lowest survival rates, will now survive ten years. 

Sadly, though, the same can not be said about pancreatic cancer. In the UK, deaths from pancreatic cancer have increased by 8% in the last decade, and ten-year survival rates remain at a shockingly low 1%.

Pancreatic cancer receives just 1.4 per cent of Britain’s cancer research spending!

The media attributed this completely shocking situation to the fact that pancreatic cancer is diagnosed too late. As a charity that focuses on early diagnosis, we are all too aware of this problem, which is why we fund awareness campaigns and GP educational programmes.

However, one of the reasons that many cancer survival rates have improved significantly is because of huge investments in research and awareness campaigns for other cancers.

If you would like to support our campaign for more funding, please highlight the issues by writing to your MP today.

We have a dedicated way to find and contact your MP.