The rate of pancreatic cancer in young women under the age of 25 has skyrocketed in the UK, with health officials documenting a 208% increase since the 1990s. The number of cases in women 25-to-49 years old increased 34%, and overall cases have increased 17% over the same timeframe. Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of just 5%. Sometimes referred to as the “silent killer” due to its subtle symptoms, it is often caught in later stages of the disease. According to the Daily Mail, pancreatic cancer kills about 10,000 people in the UK annually — the equivalent to one death every hour. Cancer experts, though still exploring the cause behind the specific uptick in cases among young women, have indicated there is some evidence pancreatic cancer is related to obesity. Professor Karol Sikora, an oncologist with more than 40 years' experience, told the Daily Mail though oncologists have “no idea” of the cause behind the “frightening” pattern, especially in younger women, “it is probably something to do with dietary change over the last 20 years.”“Fortunately pancreatic cancer is rare in the young but it is a bit worrying,” said Sikora. “It shows that we just don't have all the answers."He noted studies from the US show similar results and the medical community needs to conduct more research in this area to determine more concrete causes of the disease. Nicola Smith, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, agrees “more research is still needed to fully understand why this is happening.”“Pancreatic cancer cases in the UK are on the rise and we have seen a small increase in the number of young women being diagnosed,” said Smith. Data shows one in every four British adults are not obese, compared to one in every six a decade ago and even less in the ‘90s. Smith said if anyone has symptoms, which include jaundice, itchy skin, darker urine, loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, constipation, or bloating, to check with their doctor. “You know your body best, so it’s important to get your doctor’s advice if you notice anything that’s not normal for you or isn’t going away,” said Smith. “It probably won’t be cancer. But if it is, spotting it at an early stage means that treatment is more likely to be successful.”
The rate of pancreatic cancer in young women under the age of 25 has skyrocketed in the UK, with health officials documenting a 208% increase since the 1990s. The number of cases in women 25-to-49 years old increased 34%, and overall cases have increased 17% over the same timeframe. Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of just 5%. Sometimes referred to as the “silent killer” due to its subtle symptoms, it is often caught in later stages of the disease. According to the Daily Mail, pancreatic cancer kills about 10,000 people in the UK annually — the equivalent to one death every hour. Cancer experts, though still exploring the cause behind the specific uptick in cases among young women, have indicated there is some evidence pancreatic cancer is related to obesity. Professor Karol Sikora, an oncologist with more than 40 years' experience, told the Daily Mail though oncologists have “no idea” of the cause behind the “frightening” pattern, especially in younger women, “it is probably something to do with dietary change over the last 20 years.”“Fortunately pancreatic cancer is rare in the young but it is a bit worrying,” said Sikora. “It shows that we just don't have all the answers."He noted studies from the US show similar results and the medical community needs to conduct more research in this area to determine more concrete causes of the disease. Nicola Smith, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, agrees “more research is still needed to fully understand why this is happening.”“Pancreatic cancer cases in the UK are on the rise and we have seen a small increase in the number of young women being diagnosed,” said Smith. Data shows one in every four British adults are not obese, compared to one in every six a decade ago and even less in the ‘90s. Smith said if anyone has symptoms, which include jaundice, itchy skin, darker urine, loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, constipation, or bloating, to check with their doctor. “You know your body best, so it’s important to get your doctor’s advice if you notice anything that’s not normal for you or isn’t going away,” said Smith. “It probably won’t be cancer. But if it is, spotting it at an early stage means that treatment is more likely to be successful.”
