Oncopolitics in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest cancer we know and only a very few surviving patients have a possibility to be active in patients’ advocacy groups. The knowledge about pancreatic cancer, the symptoms of the disease and possible curative or palliative treatments is also very bad among the general population. These are two reasons why pancreatic cancer has not had the rightful attention by politicians and other decision makers. Lately this has changed and there are now several initiatives by patient advocacy groups, health professional organisations and governmental bodies to strengthen awareness, research and funding about pancreatic cancer. In the US the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act improved the framework for scientific research. In Europe the EU iPAAC Joint Action specifically addresses pancreatic cancer as one of the neglected cancers and with focus on cancer by the EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, the EU Commissioner for Health and Food safety, and by Europe’s beating cancer plan there is hope that necessary actions will be taken to improve research resources and care for patients with pancreatic cancer.