Measuring Pancreatic Cancer

The Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP) will produce the Euro Pancreatic Cancer Index (EPI), for the first time comparing and analysing the therapy options around Europe. The EPI will be published early 2014.

Although the actual number of people predicted to die from cancer in the European Union this year will increase, the rates of cancer deaths (calculated as per 100,000 of the population, by age group) continue to fall. Compared with deaths from five years ago the sharpest fall was seen in breast cancer rates, which dropped by 9%.

However in pancreatic cancer, the rates of death and the numbers affected are rising among both men and women. For the EU as a whole, rates of death to pancreatic cancer rose from 7.86 in 2007 to 8.01 per 100,000 among men, and from 5.24 to 5.38 per 100,000 among women.

Compared to other cancers, the mortality rate of pancreatic cancer is very high and there has been a lack of effective cures and even life-prolonging therapies.

"The overall decline in cancer mortality rates across Europe is a reflection of the decline in smoking and the considerable progress made in prevention, detection and treatments of most cancers. There has not been much progress in these areas for pancreatic cancer – a direct result of decades of underfunding of the disease," says Dr. Arne Bjornberg, HCP Chairman and COO.

For more information on the Health Consumer Powerhouse, please visit: www.healthpowerhouse.com