It is often described by doctors as one of the most merciless diseases \u2013 difficult to detect, fast-moving and, although few will say it publicly, often hopeless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pancreatic cancer<\/a> typically develops silently, with few clear warning signs, and is all too often only discovered once it has already spread, and prognosis is bleak.<\/p>\n Just last week it was alleged that Prince Philip<\/a> was diagnosed with it eight years before his death in 2021. For most, however, the outlook is far bleaker.<\/p>\n The most optimistic estimates suggest just 12 per cent of patients survive more than five years after diagnosis.<\/p>\n And high-profile cases have underlined just how brutal it can be. Harry Potter<\/a> star Alan Rickman<\/a> died in 2016, aged 69, just months after learning he had the disease, while action hero Patrick Swayze<\/a> died in 2009 within 20 months of diagnosis.<\/p>\n Although nearly half of cases occur in the over-75s, there is growing evidence rates may be rising in younger people \u2013 particularly women \u2013 with the most aggressive form, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, driving the increase.<\/p>\n Experts say part of this may reflect better detection of smaller tumours. But there is also increasing concern that modern lifestyles are playing a role.<\/p>\n Smoking, obesity, alcohol use and poor diet are all known to increase the risk \u2013 largely by driving chronic inflammation, disrupting insulin levels and placing sustained stress on the pancreas. And the picture could yet worsen.<\/p>\n Prince Philip may have lived with pancreatic cancer for nearly eight years before his death, it has been reported\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The pancreas – a small gland hidden behind the stomach – plays a vital role in digestion and blood sugar control<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Scientists are now examining whether newer trends \u2013 including the surge in weight-loss injections and the rise of nicotine pouches such as snus \u2013 could also be affecting pancreatic health, though the evidence remains under investigation.<\/p>\n With concern growing, experts say understanding the risk factors \u2013 and acting on those we can change \u2013 is becoming increasingly important.<\/p>\n Consultant surgeon and trustee of Pancreatic Cancer Action, Mr Neville Menezes, says: ‘Survival rates for pancreatic cancer have improved slightly since I began in the medical profession, but fewer than 10 per cent of patients are eligible for surgery because the disease is diagnosed too late.<\/p>\n ‘Symptoms can be mistaken for something as simple as indigestion.‘<\/span><\/p>\n The reason it is so often missed lies partly in the biology of the disease.<\/p>\n The pancreas \u2013 a small gland hidden deep behind the stomach \u2013 plays a vital role in digestion and blood sugar control. But because of its position, tumours can grow silently for months or even years without causing obvious symptoms.<\/p>\n By the time signs such as weight loss, abdominal pain or jaundice appear, the cancer has often already spread, limiting the chances of curative treatment.<\/p>\n So what is it that drives this disease \u2013 and who is most at risk?<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/04\/01\/14\/107583275-15698419-image-a-1_1775051649204.jpg\")
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