Pancreatic cancer survival more than triples when caught early
Most cases are found after the disease has spread, which keeps the overall survival rate low.
HEALTH TALK AMERICA · Sugar, Antibiotics, and the Trillions of Bugs Running Your Immune SystemAbout 13% of people with pancreatic cancer are still alive five years after diagnosis, American Cancer Society data show. When the cancer is found while still confined to the pancreas, about 44% are still alive after five years.
Pancreatic cancer counts as one of the deadliest cancers since it is usually found late. The disease is identical; only the stage at discovery changes the outcome.
The figures came up in answer to a question about whether to biopsy a pancreas lesion. The question was whether the cells were harmless, precancerous, or cancerous, a distinction with high stakes for what to do next.
Questions people ask
Does a 13% five-year survival rate mean most patients die within five years?
It means 13 out of 100 patients are still alive five years after diagnosis. It does not mean everyone else dies exactly at five years, and some patients live much longer. Researchers use the measure to compare outcomes across cancers.