To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to invest in developments in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.

NHS England is delivering a range of interventions to improve awareness of pancreatic cancer symptoms. NHS England runs ‘Help Us Help You’ campaigns to increase knowledge of symptoms of a wide range of cancers, including pancreatic cancer, and encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner.

NHS England is also working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to develop a Family History Checker, which enables people affected by pancreatic cancer and their families to self-assess if they have inherited risk. People identified of being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trail, which aims to understand inherited conditions of the pancreas. Referrals to the trail can be made by any healthcare professional across all health sectors, or by individuals via self-referral.

NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, also publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve treatment for those with pancreatic cancer across England.

NHS England has funded an audit into pancreatic cancer to improve consistency in access to treatments and enhance patient outcomes. On 12 September 2024, the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre published its State of the Nation Report on Pancreatic Cancer and the initial recommendations are informing improvements in treatment and care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) also supports delivery in the health and care system of research into pancreatic cancer, funded by industry and by partners in the charity and public sectors. The NIHR supported 73 clinical research studies into pancreatic cancer research between 2018/19 and 2022/2023 through the Clinical Research Network.