A test that spots pancreatic cancer from a single drop of blood could improve survival rates. The first blood test for early diagnosis of the hard-to-spot disease, it could be available within months. Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of the common cancers, with 7.3 per cent of patients alive five years after diagnosis, compared to 58.4 per cent of bowel cancer patients and 85 per cent of breast cancer patients. Treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy but their effectiveness hinges on early diagnosis. Doctors are now looking at another test to detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages, using stool samples.

Source: Daily Mail July 06, 2021 00:56 UTC